Taking Over Day – Putting Children in Charge of Museums

Children will take charge of a host of cultural venues on Thursday as part of Taking Over Day, giving them the opportunity to be in the driving seat and run the show.

Organised by charity Kids in Museums and supported by the Welsh Government, Taking Over Museums day gives children and young people a meaningful and powerful role usually reserved for adults.

This will include them designing exhibitions, managing front of house services, heading the marketing and social media as well as taking part in conservation work.

Illustrations by Sir Quentin Blake

Actor Michael Sheen, Kids in Museums Patron, said: “Young people sometimes get a raw deal.

“Yet Taking Over Day proves that, given the chance, they can take on roles within museums, archives and the arts with imagination, responsibility and commitment.

“Taking Over is a great initiative – giving young people the opportunity, in particular those who wouldn’t normally access museums – not only to experience but to contribute to the arts.

“If only every day were Taking Over Day, then museums and the arts would feel the real benefit of putting young people at their heart.”

Look out for the ‘I’m Taking Over’ stickers they’ll be wearing and ‘We’re Being Taken Over’ posters on the museums’ front doors of the following venues.

Newport Museum and Art Gallery – primary school children are developing new interpretation and QR codes for the museum.

National Wool Museum, Carmarthenshire – teenagers are creating nature trails for visitors.

Abergavenny Museum and Castle – 14-year-olds are redisplaying the Anderson Shelter, interviewing older residents to inform their interpretation.

National Slate Museum, Gwynedd – children’s duties will include cleaning the steam engine and working in the foundry.

In Glamorgan Archives – Year 6 pupils are registering users at reception, helping visitors with their research, cleaning and repacking documents, cataloguing new collections, taking over the social media, and preparing for a special Explore Your Archive event.

Harlech Castle, Gwynedd -10-year-olds are doing the health and safety checks before the Castle opens and talking to visitors about the site.

Narbeth Museum – 11-year- olds are taking over the museum’s social media, advertising and marketing the new Pembrokeshire Experience exhibition.

Follow what happens on the day on Twitter – @takeovermuseums #TakingOverDay