YOUNG PEOPLE & Schools
Supporting local youth services and making Platt Hall a creative, safe space for young people in our neighbourhood
Much of our programme to date has focused on engaging with the diverse cultures and communities in our neighbourhood and providing a safe creative play space for very young children and their families. Thanks to funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation we are now able to expand this to create a pilot programme specifically for young people.
We have begun by connecting with other youth work groups and organisations locally, building up an understanding of existing services and the needs of young people in this part of the city.
Question: “What are the barriers to community engagement for young people?”
Answer: “Young people in this community have fears about being safe after school and out in the evenings. We work mostly with children in primary school and the earlier years of secondary school, and the issues might be different, but they all lack things to do and probably don’t do much outside the immediate area. There are lots of families in the area that struggle financially and English not being a first language is an issue for some with regards to engagement. Generally I think things to do, safe spaces and just the pressure of growing up.”
Manchester Young Lives
This is still in its early stages, but we believe that the Hall and its collections can offer a unique and inspiring creative safe space where local young people can identify, explore and challenge the issues that are most important to them. To this end we are developing a partnership programme with our closest neighbour Trinity House Community Resource Centre, and over the next few months will be offering taster sessions and tours of the Hall for a range of local youth groups, from which we will work together to develop a broader youth engagement programme.
Question: “What can art galleries and museums do to engage young people in their community and youth provision?”
Answer: “To engage young people, organisations need to create safe spaces where young people can have some agency and gain a better understanding of how their communities work.”
Anson Youth Cabin
If your youth group is based in Moss Side, Rusholme, Fallowfield or Longsight and you would be interested in working with Platt Hall, please contact Young People’s Engagement Co-ordinator, Michael Riley Jones.
