Hi everyone, I’m Kennedy, a history and archaeology student at Edinburgh University and member of the Young Demonstrators, a group of 14-22 year olds who focus on making the museum more accessible and entertaining for young people. I just wanted to fill you in on the fantastic event we had a on Friday 18 November.
We hosted an event called ‘Party with the Past’ which featured live music, busking, crafts, face painting, a photo-booth, and so much more.
We aimed the event at young people aged 14-18 to let them have a similar experience to the museum’s over 18s ‘Lates’. We also wanted to showcase the Science and Technology and Art, Design and Fashion galleries, which opened in July 2016 and are very popular among visitors to the museum. The event gave our guests exclusive access to the museum for the night and allowed them to experience everything the new galleries have to offer.
We aimed the event at young people aged 14-18 to let them have a similar experience to the museum’s over 18s ‘Lates’. We also wanted to showcase the Science and Technology and Art, Design and Fashion galleries, which opened in July 2016 and are very popular among visitors to the museum. The event gave our guests exclusive access to the museum for the night and allowed them to experience everything the new galleries have to offer.
It took us nearly three months of planning and organising to pull the event together, but the end result was so worth it! We worked with Totally Sound, a group that gives young people the chance to record and produce their own music. They arranged a line-up of live bands starring young people from around the Edinburgh area. It was a great opportunity for the bands to perform on a large stage in the centre of the Grand Gallery in the National Museum of Scotland.
We also worked with Reel Youth Media, a group who introduce young people to photography and video, to take photos and record the happenings of the night.
It was a great experience for the Young Demonstrators to gain work, communication, and planning experience and make connections within our community.
The night of the event, I worked the crafts table and got to chat with the guests. Everyone was thrilled to be there, they absolutely loved listening to live music and getting the chance to perform themselves on the smaller busking stage in the Explore Gallery.
Some of our guests showed up in fantastic historical costumes and were ready to dance the night away in our Silent Disco with DJs from Totally Sound!
Young Demonstrators believe that creating a link between the museum and our greater community is critical. By giving young people a chance to experience the museum in new and exciting ways, they are better able to connect with the history housed inside. Additionally, we are so glad to have been able to work with Totally Sound and Reel Youth Media to give those involved in those groups a chance to perform. Not to mention the fantastic Creative Electric, who dazzled the audience with their amazing costumes and pop up performance ‘Is this the real life? Is this just broccoli?’ which explored love, loss and broccoli!
Thank you to all who came to Party and with Past and make sure to keep your eye out for us, the Young Demonstrators, in the future.
Header image © Reel Youth Media.