Tool-Kit for Working with Young People in Museums © Mike Scott © Mike

Tool-kit for working with young people in museums © Mike Scott © Mike

Inspired by Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place, a project supported by Toolkit at a glance Young people from the Scotland Creates project team

This Toolkit contains 1. Hints & Tips information, hints and tips on 2. What is Scotland Creates: working with young people in A Sense of Place? museums. 3. Working with young adults It draws on the experience of a 4. Creative partners and young two year national project, Scotland adults Creates: A Sense of Place led by the National Museum of Scotland. This 5. Museum objects as project shows how museums can inspiration provide young adults with positive 6. Scotland Creates: A Sense of personal, cultural and learning Place case studies from: experiences, develop their creativity • The Dick Institute, East and improve their life skills. Ayrshire Council Staff from four museums across Scotland worked with National • Museum nan Eilean, Museums Scotland, creative Benbecula and Stornoway, organisations and young adults, to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar create dynamic gallery interventions • The McLean Museum & and exhibitions. Art Gallery, Inverclyde Council To find out more about Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place see • The National Museum of www.nms.ac.uk/scotlandcreates Scotland, Edinburgh • The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum 7. Engaging vulnerable young people Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place exhibition at National Museum of Scotland 1. Hints & Tips Young people attending the Legacy of Lace opening event

How do you recruit and retain food. Some young people don’t Shout about it young adults? like to eat in front of others. Do not Don’t wait until the final outcome Be clear about what you can offer assume ‘buy cake, they will come’ of your project or activity to tell your young people: what will they when working with young people. people what you are doing. Ask your get out of working with you? Use ASK them what (and when) they like young people to write a Blog, post on targeted approaches to youth to eat. Be prepared to use petty cash Facebook, tweet on Twitter, upload theatre groups, volunteer centres or so they can buy their own food for photos on Flickr or wherever they creative subject teachers. Word of meetings. are comfortable communicating. mouth is good: flyers and posters in Scotland Creates young adults public spaces can be less successful. Establish mutual respect blogged, wrote Object of the Month Agree what it is that you want web content and made digital films They are NOT all the same to do, together – and stick to it. about their local museum and posted We struggled to find a way of Keep your project plan or activity these online as part of a ‘viral’ describing the 16-24 age range. The simple, informal and achievable. marketing campaign. Scotland Creates participants told Milestones or targets help everyone us: ‘Don’t call us young people!’ So, look forward to the next step and bit.ly/scotlandcreatesblog we use ‘young people’ and ‘young back to see what’s been achieved. If www.nms.ac.uk/museumvirals adults’ interchangeably in this something goes wrong or cannot be Toolkit. Ask your participants what achieved – be honest, explain why, they want to be called, how they talk it through and learn from the want to define themselves. experience.

…it’s not all about cake! A friendly face Opinion is divided on this. Some If it is possible, have the same people have run very successful friendly person (or people) youth engagement projects where facilitating for the duration of the regular intake of cake was vital, or project or activity. It makes a big going for pizza to celebrate the end difference to the dynamics and flow of a project. Some young people of the project and encourages the have special dietary requirements, young people to stick with it. allergies or conditions that can be aggravated by the wrong sort of Scotland Creates digital film workshop 2. What is Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place? Museum Takeover Day ‘Flashmob’ at National Museum of Scotland

A two year, national project • A collaborative creative response involving young people, creative to national and local museum organisations and five partner collections, taking the theme museums across Scotland: ‘Sense of Place’ to create gallery interventions, exhibitions, dance, 1. The Dick Institute, East Ayrshire music and films with a local Council connection.

2. Museum nan Eilean, Benbecula • An opportunity for the partner and Stornoway, Comhairle nan museums to learn from each Eilean Siar other, working with young adults, 3. The McLean Museum & Art to re-interpret their collections. Gallery, Inverclyde Council • A unique partnership project 4. The National Museum of generously supported by the Scotland, Edinburgh Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Creative Scotland that increased 5. The McManus: Dundee’s Art capacity across the partner Gallery & Museum museums.

For more information go to Gallery intervention at National Museum www.nms.ac.uk/scotlandcreates of Scotland 3. Working with young adults Greenock Wanderers Under 16 rugby team

How do you find and Start by thinking about what they will • made direct contact with reach young adults? gain from being involved, e.g. creative subject teachers (e.g. art, drama, dance, music), youth • new skills and experience to help leaders and other facilitators If you have never worked with them find jobs. at local secondary schools, art young adults in your museum • social aspect – meeting and centres, theatre groups, groups before, this is the first question making new friends. for excluded pupils and staff at you will ask. • personal development, building local colleges. “Young people are entering an self-confidence. • put information on Facebook increasingly competitive labour • creative outlet. and other social media with a market and it is more important named contact at the museum – than ever that they can compete Include these in your project aims young adults are not necessarily by having the necessary skills and and in your communication with using these sites but parents, experience to find and sustain young people. teachers, youth workers will pass information on. employment.” (Impact Arts, Working For Scotland Creates, we: with Young People) • contacted local volunteer centres Do not be discouraged if, at that support young adults to first, you don’t succeed OR if gain practical experience before you attract small numbers. moving into work or further study. • emailed museum staff, colleagues in other organisations or local authority to raise awareness of the project and opportunities for young people. • contacted young people already or previously involved with us. Word of mouth is often a very successful way of reaching new contacts. Participants visit the museum store 3. Working with young adults Greenock Wanderers Under 16 rugby team

Your second question will understanding different personality Getting out and about probably be: how do I motivate types. Play to the strengths across and retain them? the group. Unless your young participants live within walking distance of your “Groups work best when there is a Some things that can help are: museum, they will probably need mixture of personalities, abilities, to travel to you by public transport. genders, ethnicities and individual • have a consistent, key contact You may also want to take them or experiences.” (Impact Arts, Working person throughout the project: send them to look at other museums, with Young People) participants get to know who galleries or places of inspiration and they are going to work with each interest. Involve young people in the planning time they meet. and development of the project. At • have a structure: plan workshops Do not assume that all participants the National Museum of Scotland, and activities so that the are confident, independent travellers young people were part of the participants know what they are or are even familiar with their recruitment process for the Scotland going to be doing, when and own town or city. Support them Creates Project Officer and also where. by planning ahead, involve them interviewed animators for our film in decisions about how to travel, • allow enough time for discussion project. checking timetables and buying and group consensus: remember, tickets. They may need or want some young people may not Create a safe, supportive and someone to travel with them, e.g. have taken part in formal positive learning experience and a friend, parent, guardian or other meetings or discussions before environment. All ideas should be adult. and may not be used to being welcomed and participants not asked their opinion. judged or compared. Everyone can learn from other participants’ ideas, experience and suggestions. No one person should dominate the group sessions (and this includes the facilitator!), everyone should have a chance to be heard. This requires skilful management, diplomacy and Group visit to The Roslin Institute 4. Creative partners and

Having a creative partner in They researched animators and with • Scottish Ballet dance workshops place from the outset can be help from museum staff, organised a with young rugby players an added attractor for young tendering process. One of the young inspired by Clyde Pottery objects people joining or staying with adults was on the interview panel for for the McLean Museum and Art your project. the selection of the animator, asking Gallery, Greenock specific questions on behalf of the • Scottish Ballet dance workshops young volunteers. Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place with the local youth theatre was funded by the Esmée Fairbairn group, inspired by Ayrshire Creative input to Scotland Creates Foundation and Creative Scotland, lace production, for The Dick included: with the specific aim of working Institute, Kilmarnock in partnership across museums, • film-making workshops at The with young adults and creative McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery organisations. & Museum, using iPads and smartphones, taking inspiration Look at your creative partners’ aims from Dundee’s scientific, and objectives – do these fit with engineering and photographic your young adult project? Is the heritage creative partner already working with this audience or are they also looking • stop frame animation workshops to develop their work with young at the National Museum of Songwriting workshop with Miniature Dinosaurs people? Do they have a database of Scotland to create short films young people or youth organisations about scientific inventions that they are willing to share or or innovations developed in contact with details of your project? Edinburgh • music and song writing Young people can be involved in the workshops at Sgoil Lionacleit, creative partner selection process, Benbecula and National researching artists or organisations Museum of Scotland arranged to work with. The Scotland Creates by Live Music Now! Scotland group at the National Museum of with members of Skerryvore and Dundee Youth Action Group filming with Scotland were interested in film Miniature Dinosaurs. Smallpetitklein Dance Compnay making and stop frame animation. 5. Museum objects as inspiration Bethany and Ruairidh from Museum nan Eilean with a sunshine recorder

If possible let young adults make their own object selection for their project.

For Scotland Creates, we had a theme (Sense of Place) and collections (Science & Technology, Art & Design) which our funders approved before we had recruited our young participants.

A visit behind-the-scenes to the A visit to National Museums Collection Ruairidh from Museum nan Eilean with museum store can stimulate ideas, Centre with a curator from the Science & James Clerk Maxwell’s Dynamic Top discussion and questions about the Technology department objects, conservation and collections care. Museum staff could bring selected objects out of store, or work with photographs or online collections database.

Document this part of your project: ask your young volunteers to take photographs or write a Blog for your website about the objects they have chosen, or describe their day in the museum store or with Conservation. Aileen from National Museum of The Prepare for Work and Study Group Scotland Creates generated 10 blogs Scotland with Dolly the Sheep’s death create their own exhibition mask and Object of the Month articles for the National Museums Scotland website. The objects inspired film- making, dance, song writing, art work and creative writing. 6. Case studies © Mike Scott © Mike Legacy of Lace exhibition at The Dick Institute

Case Study 1: The Dick Activities undertaken by the East • planning, marketing and Institute, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire participants included: delivering a Big Craft Giveaway event in Kilmarnock East Ayrshire Leisure • guided tour of the lace production stages at MYB • attending digital film-making Creative Partners: Scottish Ballet Textiles factory workshops in Edinburgh and and MYB Textiles creating a viral film inspired by • with artist Gemma Coyle and poet, Rabbie (Robert) Burns, MYB Textiles, designed and using an online rap The Dick Institute team recruited produced a lace screen featuring their participants through local places and industries in local secondary school drama Kilmarnock departments, who encouraged pupils to attend the first meetings • research into lace-inspired for Scotland Creates. Being part of high street fashion and interior East Ayrshire Leisure, the team were designs, which were then also able to invite East Ayrshire Youth included in their final exhibition Theatre to dance workshops with at The Dick Institute Scottish Ballet. • object handling and collections care sessions with the Museum Scott © Mike The East Ayrshire participants Officer; installation of the Dance performance with Scottish Ballet and museum staff chose Legacy exhibition of Lace as their Sense of Place writing text and exhibition layout theme, focusing on the historic and • planning contemporary lace-making industry in Ayrshire. They borrowed three • Scottish Ballet dance workshops Ayrshire lace pieces from National and final performance at Museums Scotland, to exhibit with exhibition opening objects from their own collections • design and production of lace and contemporary lace pieces. accessories for dancers Scott © Mike Lace room panel made by MYB Textiles for The Dick Institute 6. Case studies © Mike Scott © Mike Legacy of Lace exhibition at The Dick Institute

Case Study 1: “They thoroughly enjoyed the Samantha and Scott challenge of performing in a Museum/Exhibition space, and Samantha (Sam) and Scott, valued the process of looking at a senior secondary school pupils piece of art and bringing it to life in Kilmarnock, found out about through the medium of dance.” Scotland Creates from their drama Michaella, Youth Theatre group teacher. Over the course of the leader project they were involved in creating the lace panel and planning their “I feel the young people benefited exhibition at The Dick Institute. They greatly from this project. I could participated in project meetings see their confidence build and their Sam and Scott at National Museum of Scotland and digital film workshops at the interests in different areas grow.” National Museum of Scotland. Gemma, artist in residence They then planned, directed and filmed their viral film ‘Rappy Burns’, persuading some of their friends to play costumed characters in the film.

Participating in Scotland Creates, Sam and Scott made useful connections with museum staff and developed a strong interest in museum work. At the end of the project, they both entered further education and Sam and Scott with their lace display at volunteered at the National Museum National Museum of Scotland of Rural Life, East Kilbride. 6. Case studies Zoe, Bethany and Ruairidh from Museum nan Eilean

Case Study 2: Museum together with a Harris tweed suit • song writing workshops with nan Eilean, Benbecula and designed by Vivienne Westwood, the band, Skerryvore (Live Music Stornoway, Comhairle nan representing traditional textiles with Now!) to create piece, Where contemporary fashion design. I Want to Stay, inspired by the Eilean Siar. weather Activities undertaken by the Western • dance workshops in Benbecula Creative Partners: Live Music Isles participants included: Now! Scotland, Skerryvore and and Stornoway Dance tutor Rosalind Masson • working with the Museums • Big Craft Giveaway workshops Development Officer to plan and in both locations using tweed Museum nan Eilean operates from install their exhibition at Sgoil off cuts two sites in the Western Isles: inside Lionacleit, using Skype to include Sgoil Lionacleit (secondary school), • writing an Object of the Month a young volunteer attending the Liniclate on the island of Benbecula article for the National Museums University of Edinburgh and at Stornoway, on the Isle of Scotland website: Vivienne Lewis. Young people were recruited • selecting objects and writing Westwood Harris tweed suit through contacts that the museums exhibition text • attending digital film-making staff already had at Sgoil Lionacleit • creating a Harris tweed collage, workshops in Edinburgh and and through email round the local inspired by the weather-related creating a viral film ‘Do you authority (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) proverb ‘Red Sky at Night, dare visit?’ to promote the network . Shepherd’s Delight’ new Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway The Western Isles participants and • gathering over two hundred museum staff chose ‘weather’ images depicting the changing as their Sense of Place theme for weather and landscape of the their exhibition A Reir na h-Aimsir islands (Without Rain there would not be • designing exhibition posters and Magic), focusing on the impact invitations the weather has on every aspect • creative writing in English and of island life. They borrowed Gaelic to tell weather stories ten weather instruments from through prose and poetry National Museums Scotland, Song-writing workshop with Skerryvore 6. Case studies Zoe, Bethany and Ruairidh from Museum nan Eilean

Case Study 2: Zoe, Ruairidh is from Ness, in the very Bethany and Ruairidh north of the Western Isles and undertook a considerable amount Bethany attended Sgoil Lionacleit, of travel to take part in Scotland Benbecula and heard about Creates on the islands and the Scotland Creates from the Museum mainland. Ruairidh heard about Development Officer. Interested in the project from a relative who saw exhibition design, Bethany worked the museum’s email. Interested with the officer to plan all stages of in developing his graphic design the exhibition and organised the call skills, Ruairidh worked on some out, via social media, for weather of the promotional material for Ruairidh with the poster he designed for images. Studying in Edinburgh, the exhibition. He took part in a the exhibition at Museum nan Eilean Bethany continued to be involved, Museums Galleries Scotland/Creative Skyping with the other volunteers Scotland Insights Café panel and staff who were in the museum discussion in Edinburgh, speaking to to install the exhibition. She also an audience of around 30 museums, joined the Edinburgh Scotland galleries and youth sector delegates. Creates group and helped with the At the end of Scotland Creates, final exhibition installation there. At Ruairidh is now looking into other the end of the project, Bethany had training and work options including applied for postgraduate Museum art, design and film-making. Studies. Zoe attended the digital film workshops in Edinburgh with Ruairidh and together they created their viral film, ‘Do you dare visit?’, inspired by the ‘Blair Witch Project’.

Preparing for the exhibition at Museum nan Eilean 6. Case studies Exhibition launch at the McLean Museum and Art Gallery, August 2013

Case study 3: McLean Activities undertaken by the Scottish Ballet were the creative Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock participants included: partner with the McLean Museum and Art Gallery. They worked with Greenock, Inverclyde • researching and writing Greenock Wanderers Under 16 rugby exhibition text Council team on a series of dance workshops • photographing objects for the inspired by the movements of Creative Partner: Scottish Ballet exhibition graphics and museum workers in the pottery industry. A film database of their work and final performance Young volunteers were already was included in the Scotland Creates working at the McLean Museum and • design and production of exhibition at the National Museum Art Gallery, one as a guide and one in coasters and magnets inspired of Scotland. archives, when Scotland Creates got by Clyde Pottery ceramic designs, underway and were able to take part for sale in the museum shop in the project. Other young people • designing posters and flyers to were recruited through the Greenock promote the exhibition including Volunteer Centre and local college. creating line drawings • writing a Blog for National The McLean holds a significant Museums Scotland: the McNab collection of Clyde Pottery Company (Clyde Pottery Co) plaque ceramics and although the Greenock attending digital film-making Greenock Wanderers Under 16 rugby factory closed in 1905, many local • team people still treasure objects as family workshops in Edinburgh and heirlooms. The young people from creating a viral film, ‘Bringing Greenock chose pieces of Clyde the past to life!’, using ‘Morfo’ Pottery from the collections at the software National Museum of Scotland and the McLean for their Colour, Design and Creativity exhibition.

Coasters inspired by Clyde pottery ceramic designs 6. Case studies Exhibition launch at the McLean Museum and Art Gallery, August 2013

Case study 3: Paul Paul was one of five young people involved with Scotland Creates as the Paul was already volunteering core team at the McLean Museum at the McLean Museum and Art and Art Gallery, with others involved Gallery. He has a particular interest through work or student placements. in photography and worked with a professional museum photographer “I really enjoyed the chance to to learn about handling and get ‘hands-on’ with local history photographing museum objects. and think about how it was being He took part in the two day digital presented in a visual way.” film workshops in Edinburgh and Laura created a viral film to promote the Paul (and camera) with the Bells Up Brass Quintet museum which used the ‘Morfo’ “Practical skills gained through online app to animate objects from projects like this are useful to the McLean Museum and Art Gallery everyone and provide good collections. Paul has dyspraxia, a experience for further training or learning disability and has benefited employment.” greatly from Scotland Creates. With Laura support from the museum curator, he travelled to Edinburgh to meet “I enjoyed meeting other volunteers some of the other Scotland Creates too. We interviewed each other volunteers. He was interviewed for about the things we like about a Museums Journal feature ‘Why museums, but also the sorts of things I Volunteer’ and, at the end of that put us off.” Scotland Creates was hoping to work Paul Magnets and coasters designed by in media, photography and the arts. participants on sale in the McLean Museum and Art Gallery shop 6. Case studies Gallery intervention featuring Dolly the Sheep

Case Study 4: National bionic arm and the dynamic top, ‘flashmob’, science shows, taking Museum of Scotland, invented by Edinburgh physicist, over the Info Zone (library) Edinburgh James Clerk Maxwell. and song writing workshops and performance with band Activities undertaken by the Miniature Dinosaurs (Live Music Creative Partners: Cameron Edinburgh participants included: Now! Scotland) Duguid animator, Live Music Now! Scotland • writing a Blog for National meeting National Museums • Museums Scotland: the official Scotland staff from various As the lead partner in Scotland Edinburgh Opening departments to find out about Creates, National Museums Scotland bit.ly/scotlandcreatesopening collections and learn about the appointed a Project Officer to recruit processes involved in creating an • taking part in the installation the Edinburgh young volunteers and exhibition of the final exhibition at the to co-ordinate and support activities National Museum of Scotland across the partner museums. • choosing their objects and The Project Officer contacted the theme for their creative response • delivered a guided tour for Edinburgh Volunteer Centre, the in the galleries museum staff, of the final year 2 exhibition at the National City Council’s Community Learning appointing and working with a • Museum of Scotland and Development team and visited film-maker to script and create community groups across Edinburgh three animated films about their • visitor surveys and evaluation to find participants. A core group chosen Science & Technology of the year 2 exhibition in of 5-6 young people met regularly objects Edinburgh throughout the project, with senior attending digital film-making school work placements, a Project • research visits to: The Roslin • workshops in Edinburgh and Scotland youth placement and a Institute (Dolly the Sheep), the creating a viral film ‘Not your student placement (postgraduate historic home of James Clerk average date’ for the National Community Education) joining the Maxwell (dynamic top) and Touch Museum of Scotland team in year 1 to make a creative Bionics (i-limbs, bionic arm) response to three objects in the • organising and participating Science & Technology galleries. in Museum Takeover Day, These were Dolly, the first cloned including launch event for mammal (sheep), the world’s first their animated films, a dance 6. Case studies Gallery intervention featuring Dolly the Sheep

Case study 4: Aileen, Museum events and took part in the Callum and Sam viral film workshops. At the end of Scotland Creates Sam planned to do Aileen, a photography graduate, a further college course and Callum credits her involvement with Scotland lined up a Project Search placement. Creates in helping her to secure a full time job in a local library. For “It was an amazing sight, seeing Scotland Creates, Aileen took on a all the ideas that we started with research role finding out more about come together to create something the objects, visiting the museum awesome.” stores and wrote an Object of the Sam Month article. She also helped Aileen, Sam and Callum with their objects photograph the objects, scripted “The project has benefited me the Bionic Arm film and helped the because of learning more about it wider group animate the films. Aileen and doing animation because I’ve took part in the viral film workshops never done animation before.” and helped make the film ‘Not your Hannah average date’, she helped install the final exhibition in Edinburgh and “Working with professional gathered visitor evaluation. equipment is also quite nice because it gives you an idea of what you can Callum and Sam have additional actually do when there are no limits.” learning support needs; Sam Sam attends a local college and both are interested in film, media and Sam watching the films he helped to gaming. They both attended all create Scotland Creates project sessions from the outset, including making the three animated films for National Museums Scotland, going on research trips, volunteered at 6. Case studies Project wall by Youth Action Group (YAG)

Case study 5: The Activities undertaken by the Youth • working with a digital filmmaker McManus, Dundee’s Action Group included: to create and edit films using iPads and other accessible Art Gallery & Museum, • researching the lives of Peter technology Leisure and Culture Feathers and George Lowdon Dundee and finding places in Dundee • developing QR codes to create connected with their lives a trail around The McManus galleries and link to more Creative Partners: • getting out and about around information about the collections Smallpetitklein dance company Dundee filming to ‘locate and history of Dundee and 2 artist facilitators themselves’ in the historic and cultural narratives of the city • creating, in homage to Peter The McManus was the only project Feathers’ original cinema, a • interviewing Dundonian actor partner museum with an established pop-up ‘Electric Theatre’ to Brian Cox and producing creative group: the Youth Action Group (YAG). show their digital films at The writing which he voiced for a YAG and museum staff chose four McManus digital film 19th century scientific, lens-based • attended digital film-making objects from the National Museum • choreography with workshops in Edinburgh and of Scotland that were made or sold Smallpetitklein dance company, created a viral film ‘What makes in Dundee, by George Lowdon, filmed on location at the Tay Rail a museum?’ for The McManus Peter Airth Feathers and his son, Bridge and around Dundee Peter Feathers, a pioneer of early • film collaboration with East photography and film. Coast Rail to recreate historic film of a train crossing the YAG used digital technology to make Tay Bridge their own films, which echo those made by Feathers and created a • using Instagram and Tumblr to gallery intervention and installation record and share their Scotland at The McManus. Creates work

The Electric Theatre at The McManus 6. Case studies Project wall by Youth Action Group (YAG)

Case study 4: Erin, using film and editing skills learned “You’ve learned to think in different Courteney, Marnie and through the project. ways because of being surrounded by so many people thinking in India Erin, then a secondary school pupil, different ways, you can see other led tours of the Sense of Place Scotland Creates enabled four of avenues and other ways to achieve exhibition for other pupils from her the group to have volunteering and the same goal.” school and has since been offered placement opportunities beyond the a place at Duncan of Jordanstone YAG member weekly group sessions. College of Art & Design. “There’s more opportunities that On Thursday and Friday afternoons have come out of it, so you can go Courteney, who developed her the Creative Learning Studio became on being creative, it doesn’t stop.” interest in creative writing through their workspace to develop project the project - working with actor Brian YAG member ideas with lead artists Julie and Jon. Cox - completed summer school at “It’s something that I certainly love This more intense engagement with University of Dundee and enrolled on doing, so it doesn’t feel like a chore the project allowed the young people a creative writing course. then, whereas, some aspects of to focus on areas that they wished school really do.” to develop new skills and interests Marnie continued her secondary YAG member alongside gaining an insight in the school studies and developed her day to day working of the museum creative skills with YAG. and particularly the Creative India started a film-making course. bit.ly/yagblog Learning Team. bit.ly/yaginstagram As well as the creative work that was produced, the placement team bit.ly/yagyoutube led the marketing and design ideas for posters and invitations, helped write interpretation, devised the QR trail around the galleries, painted walls white and edited their own films. They also led youth events and supported other projects at the museum such as documenting exhibition previews and events Graphic created by the Youth Action Group 7. Engaging vulnerable young people Sam in the animation studio

Peter Robinson, people understand what you evaluation, simple smiley/ experienced trainer and are trying to achieve they sad face evaluation. It should practitioner in mental are often more eager to get be possible for everyone to involved. Don’t be vague! offer feedback regardless of health, working with communication issues. Finally, 5. Let people know what they can children and young ask families what kind of things expect when they bring their people, shares his tips. make it too difficult to bring families to the museum. Direct their child. them to information sources 1. Make the time and effort to get both within and outside the 8. Be realistic and open about advice. Scotland has a number museum - web sites, maps, what you can offer and, of organisations who will be signposting, rest areas. Both where you can see gaps in willing to help in practical ways very noisy and very quiet your service, bring them to and in increasing understanding places can be identified. Many the attention of colleagues. of the main issues. The most children and young people Highlight the areas where useful information and support will benefit from seeing the improvements can be made can come from families and building and contents before at minimal cost. Nominate a carers. Don’t be afraid to ask. they visit. Perhaps invent a colleague to identify funding 2. Contact other museums. Even game highlighting what they sources. though you work/volunteer in might pass on the way to the 9. Audit the staff group and a museum you may be missing museum. identify what skills are present the opportunity to learn from 6. To be truly user friendly the and whether anyone has direct other museums across the museum must increase the valid experience of working or country. Join them on Facebook, knowledge base of all staff living with Autism, ADHD or Twitter etc for constant updates that may have contact with other conditions on the autistic and varying approaches to vulnerable young people. It will spectrum. engaging vulnerable children. only take one inappropriate 10. Keep in mind that you are 3. Seek the full support of line word or action to spoil a already working with vulnerable managers as it is unlikely that potentially successful visit and young people and that their you can manage positive future contact. needs are very similar to yours. change for vulnerable people 7. Design a user friendly The articulation of needs may if you are feeling vulnerable or evaluation system which should be different. unsupported. include immediate feedback 4. Be clear about what you are (verbally as an event unfolds), Peter Robinson trying to offer and why. When written evaluation, email Digital film workshop

Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place at National Museum of Scotland

supported by

In partnership with