By young people, for young people. A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA MAY 2019 Contents 4 Forewords 7 Key statistics 8 Executive summary 15 1 Introduction 30 2 GENEXT experiences 49 3 Attendee outcomes 63 4 Impact on arts participation and support 73 5 Participant case studies 84 6 Learnings for museums 101 7 Case study: GENEXT John Mawurndjul 105 8 Expert interviews 119 9 Conclusion 122 10 Appendices 129 11 Bibliography This report was prepared for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) by Jo Higgins of the MCA and Tandi Palmer Williams, Brooke Boyce and Catherine Davis of research agency Patternmakers. The MCA acknowledges the About the Museum of vital support of The Balnaves Contemporary Art Australia Foundation for GENEXT, 2005–2019. The MCA is Australia’s leading museum dedicated to The authors would like to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting the work of acknowledge the individuals today’s artists, in the belief that art is for everyone. involved in the GENEXT program, For any questions, please contact Jo Higgins, including GENEXT attendees, Young Creatives Coordinator on MCA Youth Committee members [email protected] or [email protected]. past and present, Artist Educators, past Young Creatives Coordinators About Patternmakers and MCA staff (see Appendix A: Patternmakers is a research agency specialising in cul- Acknowledgements on page 122). ture, creativity and community. It believes in the power The MCA and Patternmakers of insight to help good causes change the world. acknowledge the traditional For any questions, please contact Tandi Palmer Williams, owners of the land and the Managing Director on [email protected]. contribution of the Aboriginal This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia past, Suggested citation: present and future. Higgins, J., Palmer Williams, T., Boyce, B., & Davis, C. (2019) By young people, for young people: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA. Cover image: Attendees viewing Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean at GENEXT: Pipilotti Rist, 10 December 2017. Photo: Jacquie Manning Attendees exploring GENEXT 20th Biennale of Sydney, 14 April 2016. Photo: Tim da-Rin By Young People, for Young People: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA Forewords It has been a privilege to be part of the co- I’m sure this sentiment resonates with many. design process for this research report, 87% of attendees agreed that GENEXT especially as I worked closely with other allowed them to think more deeply about Youth Committee members past and ‘social and cultural issues’, while 70% stated present. they felt a ‘sense of belonging’ at the events. It’s fair to say that these benefits of GENEXT No matter how wildly our memories of influenced my choice to join the Youth GENEXT diverged, we could agree on one Committee. Being part of a bigger ‘whole’ has thing: we looked back on our experiences of instilled a responsibility to make art GENEXT – as young people, attendees or accessible for all young people, understand committee members – not as a fond others’ contexts, and solve issues creatively. memory, but as an ongoing journey which has impressed upon us so many skills that As I step into the next stage of life, littered we use to this day. with its uncertainties, I know that GENEXT has allowed me a confidence, creativity and I remember my first GENEXT vividly: the identity that I am truly content with. For sheer spectacle of lights, live music, young people today, contemporary art is an performance artists, harbour views and arena where various ideas, issues and hands-on activities. As a young person from opinions can be freely explored, and GENEXT Sydney’s suburbia, I had never experienced provides that exact platform. I’m hopeful that an event like it. Soon enough, my attendance in future events like GENEXT made by young had become regular. I came to realise that it people, for young people, are made wasn’t so much the surface appearance of accessible to most, if not all. GENEXT that made it as unique as it continues to be. Rather, as this report shows, Steph Sekulovska, Youth it’s the safe space that it provides for young Committee Member 2017 people from a diversity of backgrounds including those identifying as LGBTQI+ (31%), speaking a language other than English (31%) and living in Western Sydney (42% in 2018). By bonding over the profound impact of contemporary art on our perspective of the world, we have been breaking down stereotypes placed on our supposedly idle generation. 4 By Young People, for Young People: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA When the MCA first launched GENEXT in Heller (see page 78), and exhibited artists, 2005 with support from The Balnaves like Spence Messih who was part of Foundation, we had little idea of the Primavera 2018: Young Australian Artists (see impact it would have. 14 years on, GENEXT page 73). has attracted almost 30,000 attendances I’m particularly proud of our work on GENEXT by young people, introducing so many to Goes West, and of the role the program is the remarkable world of visual art. playing in helping young people from In our exam-focused education system, not different backgrounds experience every young person has the chance to contemporary art. Social cohesion is a key discover their creative side. We created issue of our times and the MCA is committed GENEXT to give more young people the to addressing this in a number of ways. opportunity to experience the work of I feel very optimistic about our sector. As the contemporary artists. robots take over, it’s creative skills that are I’m passionate about providing this going to be in demand. Creativity is the first opportunity to young people at such a pivotal step to innovation and it’s becoming widely time in their lives. GENEXT is for those who recognised around the world as essential to like art, but who might not be studying art at our future. school or pursuing an arts practice I think that we can reshape society if we themselves – this was especially important to begin to put creativity led by artists at its me as I did not study art at school! heart and I’m excited to see where we can It’s also important that GENEXT is a social take this important program next. space, that encourages peer to peer interaction. I’m pleased to see that 96% of Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, OBE, GENEXT attendees agree that the program Director, Museum of offers a safe and supportive environment. It’s Contemporary Art Australia not about school work (and we wouldn’t call it learning, not in a formal sense anyway) but simply the sheer pleasure of engaging with art and ideas. Our vision for GENEXT was to build a new generation of audiences and donors, and it’s very exciting to see that this has indeed come to fruition. Past GENEXT attendees have become employees of the MCA, such as Cody 5 Youth Committee members prepare for GENEXT: John Mawurndjul, 15 July 2018. Photo: Jacquie Manning By Young People, for Young People: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA Key statistics 96% 93% agree that GENEXT offers a safe and feel it’s important that GENEXT is made by supportive environment young people, for young people 87% 80% say that GENEXT has made them think say that GENEXT has had a positive impact about social and cultural issues, on their overall wellbeing compared to general MCA visitors (77%) 54% 71% say they are likely to buy a work of art in are participating in creating visual arts, future, compared to 41% of other young compared to 27% of the wider population visitors 7 By Young People, for Young People: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA Executive summary Background GENEXT is the MCA’s flagship program for young people aged 12 to 18, attracting over 29,000 attendances since its first event in 2005. Taking place four to five times a year, it is an atmospheric festival-style ‘museum-takeover’ event delivered by young people, for young people. It features live music, performances, art-making and interactive experiences inspired by MCA exhibitions and contemporary artists. The program takes place throughout the Museum, including the galleries, and offers the young people who attend a safe, parent- and teacher-free space to connect with ideas and each other, after hours, from 6 to 9pm on a Sunday evening. In 2018 the MCA commissioned research agency Patternmakers to work with the MCA Young Creatives Coordinator and past and present MCA Youth Committee members to co-design an evaluation framework, collect new data and co-author this report. The key findings below are drawn from qualitative and quantitative research with past participants and stakeholders. This included interviews, focus groups, observations and a survey of 1,176 young people who had visited the MCA since 2005. The survey probed the attitudes and behaviours of young people who had participated in GENEXT, and those who hadn’t, to begin to explore the impact of the program relative to other activities at the MCA. Key findings GENEXT is a safe space that welcomes young people from different backgrounds Overwhelmingly, survey respondents agree that GENEXT is a safe and supportive environment for young people. With few alcohol-free events in the evening just for teens, GENEXT provides a rare opportunity for young people to come together and simply be themselves.