Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, along with Prime Theatre, have been selected as one of only two national partnerships for the esteemed ‘Where We Are…’ youth program by the British Museum in 2023.
Over the course of 10 months, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery will collaborate with Prime Theatre and young people aged 16 to 24 in Swindon to co-design and implement an arts project in the town. The objective is to amplify the voices of young individuals, particularly those who are often underrepresented in the cultural sector, providing them with an opportunity to shape arts and culture in Swindon.
‘Where We Are…’ is a nationwide program conducted by the British Museum and supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Its aim is to break down barriers to cultural access and directly engage more young people in arts and culture within their local communities.
Supported by Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Prime Theatre, and other professional artists, 15 young individuals will design and execute an arts project, culminating in a celebration of their work in February next year.
Swindon Museum and Art Gallery is responsible for preserving collections that narrate the stories of Swindon, spanning from pre-history to the present. This encompasses natural sciences, archaeology, world cultures, social history, as well as a nationally significant collection of modern and contemporary British art. As part of the ‘Where We Are…’ project, young people will contribute their voices to these narratives, aiding the museum in discovering new ways to understand, explore, and share the town’s vibrant cultural heritage.
Prime Theatre, supported by Arts Council England, serves as Swindon’s professional theater company for young people. As an arts and education charity, Prime collaborates with other heritage and arts organisations to provide young individuals with early exposure to culture and essential opportunities for developing their own creative voices.
Prime works in partnership with Swindon Borough Council’s Children’s Services department to deliver Arts Award qualifications to children in priority groups, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), children in care, care leavers, and young people engaged with youth justice services. Prime and the council are national Arts Award Champions for this distinctive program.
Mags Parker, Learning and Engagement Officer at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, “This is an amazing opportunity for us and for young people in Swindon.
“We are really excited to be involved in a project that enables us to work alongside young people and benefit from their expertise, as well as that of Prime Theatre and the British Museum.
“This project will make our work more relevant for young people and will create a legacy of strong youth engagement for the future.”
Mark Powell, Artistic Director at Prime Theatre, added, “It’s brilliant that Swindon’s youth have this timely and rare opportunity to influence the new museum and art gallery and to share with adults exactly what arts and heritage could and should mean to them. We have as much to learn as they do.”
Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Art, and Heritage, expressed pride in the achievement, stating, “The British Museum choosing Swindon as one of only two awardees is a testament to the richness of our town’s culture and the wealth of talent it nurtures. I look forward to seeing the work our young people will create as part of the programme.”
Hanouf Al-Alawi, National Outreach Manager at the British Museum, commented, “We are excited to partner this year with Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and with Prime Theatre.
“This is the third year of the Where we are… delivering projects nationally, and since 2021 we have been building a national network of cultural and third sector organisations that place local young people at the heart of co-production.
“Our partners bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge of working with young people who face multiple barriers to engaging with the arts and cultures. They have been pivotal to our understanding of how to create safe and welcoming spaces to young people and how to engage meaningfully in co-producing arts and cultural projects with them.
“We are looking forward to work closely with our Swindon partners to shape their youth-led local project”
