Working with young people
On Common Ground: Museums, heritage, culture — what's that all about?
The Museum worked with local communities on over fifty different projects as part of the On Common Ground programme.
We wanted to encourage people who wouldn’t normally visit the national museums to engage with heritage and culture. The programme, which started in 2002, helped develop skills, opportunities and experiences of culture for young people between the ages of 14 and 24 from deprived communities and / or those who face disadvantages in their lives in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Ceredigion, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Swansea.
All the groups participated in workshops with experienced artists to explore aspects of their cultural heritage and created high quality project work in the media of their choice — from animation to web design.
On Common Ground has provided opportunities and accreditation for young people, and has also shown that museums in the 21st century have something to offer to the whole community, irrespective of age, ability or cultural background.
This project has demonstrated the positive outcomes that can be achieved through long-term relationship-building with communities, and gives us a model for how we work with people and communities now.