The Young Creators programme aims to build ongoing relationships with young people; how does this model work and what is the impact on the organisation? Initial evaluation will be shared to reflect on some of the success and challenges. The session will also offer some tips on how to engage young people in the first place, and keep them involved. Clare Carlin, Youth Programme Manager, Wellcome Collection and Lucie Fitton, Head of Engagement, The Audience Agency

1. Developing long-term relationships with young
people
Wellcome Collection’s Young Creators
Clare Carlin, Youth Programmes Manager, Wellcome
Collection
Lucie Fitton, Head of Engagement, The Audience Agency

2. What is the value of engaging young people long-
term?
Depth versus reach? Quality and quantity?
What are your experiences?

3. Youth Programme

4. Wellcome Collection Youth Programme

5. Youth
Projects
Art and exhibitions
Music
Dance
Design
Drama
Resources
Film and photography

6. Young Creators

7. Evaluation planning
Young Creators
Shape youth
programmes
Independent
visits
Ambassadors
and advocates
One off
events
Discrete
partnership
project

8. Project aims
• To create a model which feeds
into a longer term youth advocacy
programme
• To increase visibility of youth co-
production work
• 50% of young people to be
recruited from lower income
schools.

9. Evaluating Young Creators – a participative 360 approach

10. Model for feeding a longer-term youth advocacy programme?
Key success factors
• Slow start – social
• Intense and light touch
• Commitment through application
process
• Support from the wider public
programmes team and Wellcome
staff – creative outputs as catalyst
• Ownership - not being school
related or curriculum driven
• Involvement in every stage

11. Visibility of youth co-production and recruitment
• Internal advocacy = key
legacy
• Development of general
audiences, especially young
independent audiences
• Short timeframe and lead in
time
• Gender balance

12. Recommendations
• Young people with a range of interests
• Gender balance
• Longer lead in time
• Supported application for less engaged
• Continue long timeframe and mix of intense
and light engagement
• Independent use facilities
• Launch events
• Integration into main public spaces

13. School partnership – Central Foundation Boys’
School, Islington

14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6XvC1b
Weuc&feature=player_embedded

15. Why engage young people long-term?

16. Who are young people and what do they want?
Characteristics of young people:
• Participants not attenders
• Socially motivated
• Looking for skills development
• Personal relevance and
contemporary connections
How does your offer meet the needs
and interests of young people?

17. Royal Opera House Bridge action research
• Terminology: not relevant
• Interests: music, arts, writing
cross arts
influenced by technology and
contemporary culture
• Motivations: enjoyment, social opportunities,
career experience
• Barriers: perceived lack of opportunities,
poor awareness, poor marketing

18. Marketing
• Reach people through people and
places they know and trust
• Develop partnerships with other
sectors to reach a broader range
of young people
• Involve young people in
developing marketing campaigns
• Emphasise the skills development
and social opportunities in
marketing; ensure there is lots of
information and images

19. Programming
• Develop long-term strategies and
support transitional opportunities
• Offer a mixture of short-term and
long-term opportunities, especially
taster sessions
• Take activities to public spaces
• Link activities to young people’s
interests – e.g. music, popular culture
and contemporary issues
• Space led rather than activity led
activities
• Youth led funding applications and
management

20. Detailed report
http://www.roh.org.uk/learning/royal-opera-house-
bridge/report-and-documents

21. lucie.fitton@theaudienceagency.org
c.carlin@wellcome.ac.uk