Young People
Young Peoples Programme event © National Portrait Gallery, London
Young People as an audience are usually defined as being between 14-21 and outside of formal education.
Recent research has shown that Young People respond more to activities in museums and galleries that are not related directly to school and formal education.
There are a variety of learning activities around portraiture that you can run for young people. Practical workshops – in art, photography or film – are popular. Sessions should be at weekends or as ‘after school clubs’ between 16.00 and 18.00.
It is useful to find what young peoples’ organisations and clubs are local to you and work with them to develop programmes.
A good example: Young People’s Programme
The National Portrait Gallery is dedicated to working with 14 – 21-year-olds outside of school, in a wide variety of ways:
- Sunday Sessions are on the first Sunday of the month
- Holiday workshops take place over two or three days, often culminating in a performance or private view
- Specific resources are available for young people – ask for the Pop Art Portraits Young People’s Guide
- Special taster sessions can be arranged for groups from youth organisations in Camden, Lambeth, Southwark and Westminster
- The Youth Forum meets on Sundays four times a year and on Thursday evenings once a month. Link >>
For the latest details, see www.npg.org.uk/learning/young-people/home.php
Youth Forum’s facebook page www.facebook.com/nationalportraitgallery.youthforum1
See also ‘How to develop a Youth Forum in your museum – a toolkit of ideas’ (2009) http://abcofworkingwithschools.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/youthforumtoolkit1.pdf