Programme aims to ‘make young people feel welcome’ at museums and galleries

A training programme has been launched as part of efforts to make the heritage and culture sector a more welcoming place for teenagers.

The free I’m A Teenager… Get Me Into There! programme from Wigan-based cultural education charity Curious Minds is aimed at staff and volunteers, particularly those who deal directly with the public.

Created in response to research that suggests teenagers often feel unwelcome in venues such as museums and galleries, the programme has been designed to make staff more confident in their dealings with young people.

Kelly Allen, Executive Director of Social Justice at Curious Minds, said: "Experience has shown us that every single adult interaction really matters to young people, especially when they’re doing something that’s new to them. 

“It also affects their willingness to engage with that artform elsewhere, so the responsibility to get it right is huge.”

The course can be accessed in three ways: online by downloading a teaching pack to run activities with staff/volunteers; or as a tailored, in-person version for venues, facilitated by Curious Minds staff.

The I'm A Teenager… programme began life as a partnership with national youth charity UFA and the Lancashire Library and Museums Service.

The latest version was developed as part of Curious Minds’ Hope Streets initiative, working with five museum partners across the North West of England.