Takeover Day

We just had our Takeover Event and the Youth Advisors were amazing!



Getting ready!

The Youth Advisory Group has been working with artist Yara El-Sherbini to create a playful intervention in the Museum for Takeover Day. This is a national event ran by Kids in Museums and is our first year taking part. The Youth Advisors developed a series of questions about trust and young people that they want to ask Museum visitors in a questionnaire style.

Project Managers Callum and Terri giving a team brief

 

Youth Advisor, Nicole, shares the day...

'We firstly went over the plans for the event and listed the roles of each individual and what exactly they would be doing for Takeover Day. Then we took over the Compass Lounge and asked members of the public to answer a questionnaire with a Youth Advisory Group member for them to be in with the chance to win an Ansel Adams catalogue and two tickets'

The Youth Advisors at the end of Takeover Day

The best part of the day was meeting and greeting new people who attended the day. Interacting with new people was the best part! I enjoyed the way people would respond to the questions being asked and looking at people taking part; they seemed really happy'

Youth Advisors with their Takeover Day certificates

 

Youth Advisor, Isobel, shares what she enjoyed...

Youth Advisory Group Meeting, Sunday 18 November 2012

Youth Advisors Tianna, Frances and Mercedes share what we did in this meeting...

'We played a new game, which was relaxing and broke the ice. We brainstormed many questions for our Takeover Day survey and made a shortlist of ten. We decided roles for the Takeover Day.


The Youth Advisors sharing ideas

We worked with Yara and Shauna and also practised asking our questions with Graham, a National Maritime Museum Visitor Experience member of staff.  It was good to see Graham completing the survey, as the responses and the thought process during the survey was very interesting'


Yara and Frances asking for people's ideas to share

We worked with artist, Yara El-Sherbini, again and finalised the idea to create a questionnaire for visitors to take part in on Takeover Day. The questions were unexpected to see what their reaction would be. Questions ranged from 'Would you join the Navy?' to 'Would you trust a teenager more in a unitard than a hoodie?'

Clemmie sharing her ideas

Everyone has roles for Takeover Day, including Project Managers (Terri and Callum), Front of House, Documenters, Hosts and Interviewers. Takeover Day will take place on 24 November, 13-15:00 at National Maritime Museum

 

Youth Advisory Group Meeting, Saturday 03 November 2012

Youth Advisor Keisha shares what we got up to at our last meeting...

'The Youth Advisory Group will be taking over the Museum as a short project, so today we generated questions and ideas we can contribute to this day. The best thing was exploring the ideas of how a museum is presented and what it is known for; the reasons for a museum and how we automatically trust what they include and tell us. I was interested in how museums contribute to history and learning more about them. Today was my first time attending and it was good as it has intrigued me to come again'

Youth Advisors sharing ideas

We worked with artist, Yara El-Sherbini and looked at the following questions...

How do you feel when you come into the Museum? Do you know how to not feel out of place in museums/ How to feel you belong in museums?
How has the YAG shaped you?

Youth Advisors with Yara in the Compass Lounge, the space we're taking over!

How is the museum or the sea, or being here as a young person relevant to you?
How do I relate to my own history, identity and place in the world?
Why is Greenwich at the centre of this story?
If you could ask an audience at the NMM anything , what would it be?
Does anybody know the true cost of a cup of tea, from the canteen?
What do you know about Sammy Ofer?

 

Deciding what we'll do with Yara

 

Next time we'll work with Yara to finalise plans for Takeover Day!

Takeover Day

The Youth Advisors are taking over the Museum! On Saturday 24 November 2012, the Youth Advisory Group will be working with artist Yara El-Sherbini to create playful conversations inspired by young people, museums and the sea. The event has been advertised already on the Museum website, so let your friends know. We will have our first meeting on Saturday 03 November to work with Yara.

Youth Advisors in the Compass Lounge

Youth Advisory Group Meeting, Sunday 14 October 2012

Youth Advisors, Henry and Clemmie, share what we got up to in our last meeting:

We fit a lot into this session. We played some fairly successful icebreaker games, did some admin, discussed the qualities we look for in a volunteer and had a tour of the Queen's House.

Icebreaker games, led by Isobel

The tour was really enjoyable. The tour guide described the history of the House. It was especially interesting to learn that it was once a place where boys learnt to be sailors and there was a ship outside where they'd stay for weeks at a time.

Royal Hospital School training ship 'Fame' (1933)

It was interesting to look around the beautiful buildings and at the art. It was also interesting sharing the characteristics we look for in a volunteer as it was clear we had lots of ideas, not all of which were realistic!

Group work, thinking about volunteers

 Group work, thinking about volunteers

 

We agreed that we liked the YAG blog and felt it represented the Group well. We also filled in a skills audit and agreed that it would be good to learn ICT skills, money management and teamwork. Next time we are meeting the artist we're working with for Takeover Day

 

Abs and Bryn heading to the Queen's House

Youth Advisors Visit to Museum of London Docklands, 22 September 2012

The Youth Advisors were invited to the opening of a new exhibition at Museum of London Docklands, Many East Ends. We met with the Museum's youth panel, Junction, and had a tour of the Museum with their Youth Programme Co-ordinator, Lowell Black.  Scroll down for lots of pictures of our day!

Youth Advisors Davina, Fatim, Shezara, Alexa, Thu and Terri outside Museum of London Docklands



Youth Advisors waiting for a talk on the East End of London



The exhibition looked at where the East End is today and tried to include different voices, including young people and people that grew up in the East End of London. The young people, part of the group Tolerance in Diversity, made their own Monopoly Board, which we saw in the exhibition.

Visiting the exhibition

Alexa with the new Monopoly Board, created by Tolerance in Diversity with artist Sarah Carne

Terri, one of the Youth Advisors, shares her experience of that day:

On the 22nd September a small group off us from YAG, went to the Museum of London Docklands to meet some other young people that they’ve been working with to see a project to redesign the Monopoly board with their choice off locations. The board was made by young people for young people.

Thu and Terri in the exhibition

It was a great experience visiting the Museum of London Docklands because we got to meet their youth panel and talk to them about what they have been up to in the Museum.

 

Shezara in the exhibition 

 

Lowell showing Shezara and Terri the Monopoly Board

 

Instead of jail, you are in yard

The Monopoly pieces created by Tolerance in Diversity

 

Exploring the Monopoly board

The yummy brunch, with East End inspired bagels



Lowell giving the Youth Advisors and Junction a tour of the collection, starting with a map of the Thames

 



Shezara exploring a whale jaw bone

Thu and Alexa in the Museum

We thought this artwork was similar to our Traders Remixed photos

 



Thu, Alexa, Shezara, Davina, Terri and a member of Junction in Sailortown, one of the Museum exhibitions

Learning about customs for goods bought to London on the sea and Old Man's Eyebrows tea, from China

Learning about the docks in old London

Journeys and Kinship exhibition

London Bridge before it fell down!

Thank you so much to Museum of London, Junction, Kirsty and Lowell for inviting us and showing us around

Trustees Party, 20 September 2012

The Youth Advisors were recently invited to a party onboard the Cutty Sark hosted by Royal Museums Greenwich's trustees.



Some of the Youth Advisors outside Cutty Sark

Terri, one of the Youth Advisors, shares her experience:

On the 20th  September 2012,  were invited to a private party on the Cutty Sark to interact with other  volunteers and trustees from the Museum. We all had a great time meeting people. 

 

The Youth Advisors meeting Ruth Boley, Formal Learning Officer at National Maritime Museum

It was a pleasure to get to meet the trustees chair Lord Sterling himself. The party itself was great fun because we got to meet people from departments and talk to them about the work they do and the work that we do at  the museum,  we also got to tour the Cutty Sark and see what Greenwich looks like at night. We also used the party to help us get our group out there in the world, and to get people to visit our blog.

 

The Youth Advisors with the Trustees onboard Cutty Sark

 

 

Meet the Youth Advisors: Terri

Name: Terri Kenton Age: 19 Terri's portrait as shipbuilder, Wadia, for Traders Remixed   How long have you been a Youth Advisor for?  Just over a year. I joined at the end of 2011 and start of 2012    Your highlight as a Youth Advisor (best thing you’ve done, best opportunity etc)? Being able to take part in exciting exhibitions with in the museum, such as the exhibition in  the compass lounge, Traders Remixed   Describe the Youth Advisory Group in 3 words:  Exciting, amazing and friendly   Favourite thing about National Maritime Museum:  Being able to be part of the museum itself   Why should other people join the Youth Advisory Group? Other young people should join he youth advisory group, because it gives them a chance to work closely with the Museum and meet new people the same age    What do you want to do in the future and is being a Youth Advisor helping you get there?  I want to become a professional web designer, and the youth advisory group has helped me build up my confidence

Meet the Youth Advisors: Eseoghene

Name: Eseoghene Olivia Owho Age: 16                                                 How long have you been a Youth Advisor for? 2 years                                                  Your highlight as a Youth Advisor? Best thing was constructing the exhibition at the compass lounge (the photo shoot was awesome!)   Describe the Youth Advisory Group in 3 words: Exciting, informative and awesome                                                   Favourite thing about National Maritime Museum: Resources                                                   Ese photographed by the artist, Maisie Maud Broadhead, for Traders Remixed   Why should other people join the Youth Advisory Group? I  think you guys should join because you get to meet people like ME!! and gain more skills                                                  What do you want to do in the future and is being a Youth Advisor helping you get there? Iwant to be a dentist , and youth advisory is definitely helping because I'm more sociable now and it would help me when dealing with my clients in future

Arrrrrrr.... Talk Like a Pirate Day

Date for the diaries - next Thursday 19 September, will be Talk Like a Pirate Day

Flag from Pirate Yacht Club, Bridlington (1898). In National Maritime Museum's collection

So get practising! I'll inspire you with my favourite pirate joke -

Why couldn't the pirates play cards?

The captain was standing on the deck!

To find out more about the day, click here

Mr Richard Temple, As the Pirate King in 'The Pirate of Penzance' (1880), National Maritime Museum

Meet the Youth Advisors: Satpal

Name: Satpal Singh Bansal  Age: 18   How long have you been a Youth Advisor for? Just over a year - joined in 2011   Your highlight as a Youth Advisor? Being able to make something that can not only benefit us but others in our community   Describe the Youth Advisory Group in 3 words: Friendly, Diverse and Fun   Favourite thing about National Maritime Museum: The collections held within the Archives, we are able to see and touch items that were linked to events that have made history, such as an autographed  piece from the night of the Titanic disaster   Why should other people join the Youth Advisory Group? We are a fun and friendly group to be a part of. Not only does the Youth Advisory Group offer educational values for young people to make a positive change within the Museum, it is able to provide experience working within a group, project managing and able to communicate with a variety of different people such as curators and the public   Satpal, Alexa, Jenelle, Adrian and Danielle with National Maritime Museum's Director, Kevin Fewster. This was at the launch of the Youth Advisors' first exhibition, Traders Remixed in February 2012     What do you want to do in the future and is being a Youth Advisor helping you get there? I would like to become a solicitor. Being part of YAG has allowed me to gain confidence when communicating with new and interesting people as well as sticking to deadlines throughout projects

Meet the Youth Advisors: Isobel

Name: Isobel Hobby Norris
Age:  16

How long have you been a Youth Advisor for?
A complete year

Your highlight as a Youth Advisor?

I had the opportunity to get involved with the museum and make friends

Describe the Youth Advisory Group in 3 words:

Crazy, knowledgeable, fun

Isobel recreating a moment from the life of Sake Dean Mahomed, an Indian entrepreneur who opened the first Indian curry house in England. This image was featured in Traders Remixed an exhibition created by the Youth Advisory Group

Favourite thing about National Maritime Museum: 

The cool exhibitions

Why should other people join the Youth Advisory Group?

A great way to learn about the local area and a fun way to meet friends as well

What do you want to do in the future and is being a Youth Advisor helping you get there?
Being able to say on my CV that I have a qualification from doing this and being able to prove that I know about where I live.

YAG Meeting, 24 August 2012

In this meeting, we explored a team agreement of house rules for the Youth Advisory Group. We looked at ways to include everyone's ideas to make this a safe, co-operative, respectful place for learning and sharing. We came up with lots of good suggestions, including bringing enthusiasm and a positive attitude, have the right to opt out, and allow others to fully explain their ideas before starting a new conversation.

Youth Advisors sharing ideas

We also talked about making  YAG handbook for new members to join, containing a history of the YAG and the Museum, what we do, previous projects, contact details, maps (perhaps with highlights of the collection from the Youth Advisors), trivia about the Museum and fun stuff! We will explore this more and hopefully get to work with the Museum's Design team to make it happen.
We talked about the questions we will explore over the next year in order to understand and share the themes of the National Maritime Museum...

Why is the sea so important to Britain?

How has it shaped British history, identity and place in the world?

Why is Greenwich at the centre of this story?

How is it relevant today?

What does it mean to me?

 

The Youth Advisors started adding their ideas to these questions and sharing what ideas we have about the sea.

 



Playing games in the Museum

Our next meeting will be in September - Shauna is seeing about a trip to Museum of Docklands to meet with another youth group there...