We are thrilled to announce that after the hard work of our education and outreach team, The Attenborough Arts Centre, in Partnership with Pedestrian, will be working with The British Museum on the new ‘Where we are…’ project.
Where we are…, a new innovative national programme for young people, today announces its three Key charity and cultural Partners across the UK for 2021, located in Edinburgh, Leeds and Leicester. Organised by the British Museum, and supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, projects will be led by and co-produced with young people in these areas. The open and collaborative nature of these projects will enable creative and unconstrained approaches towards the idea of arts and culture. With direct input from young people aged 16–24, these bespoke projects will develop and evolve in response to a need in the local community. The Key Partner organisations involved span from a museum to historic house and art gallery and will support under-served young people to produce diverse and unique projects with their charity counterparts. These third sector bodies have missions ranging from a focus on young carers, a nurturing of new talent and the provision of music and arts education.
Running from 2021 until 2025 and supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Where we are… aims to help give young people agency within their own local communities by
creating three cultural projects a year as part of the British Museum’s National Programmes. It encourages young people to interpret what arts and culture means to them, their families and local communities thereby supporting and developing their skills and experience. A fully funded programme, it also intends to help bridge barriers that prevent young people from engaging with arts and culture locally by working collaboratively with local organisations responding to a community need. Working in a four-way partnership with the British Museum, local charities and cultural spaces, Where we are… ultimately aims to connect with young people who are currently under-served by the cultural sector.
In Leicester, through ourselves and Pedestrian, we will collaborate with young people who identity as LGBTQ+ to explore activism and social justice. These young people will have full unrestricted access to the resources of both organisations to produce their project in response to the upcoming exhibition programme, including the creation of music. Attenborough Arts Centre co-produces work with children and young people. It seeks new and creative ways to removes barriers to accessing the arts, and prioritises working for the most marginalised youth. Pedestrian is a leading arts organisation and charity specialising in music and arts education through training and outreach projects for young people young people who are often socially excluded, not in education, employment or training.
Marianne Pape, our Education and Outreach Officer, said: “Where we are… is a new collaborative partnership that will bring together young people in Leicester identifying as LGBTQIA+, artists, and colleagues from Attenborough Arts Centre and Pedestrian. Supported by our friendly and experienced team, they will respond creatively to Attenborough Arts Centre’s autumn 2021 exhibition entitled ‘The World is a Work in Progress’, which features newly commissioned work by contemporary artists, including Bob & Roberta Smith, engaging with ideas of activism, social justice and future building. We are excited to be working with the British Museum on this project and amplifying young voices, ideas and culture in Leicester.”