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Manchester scheme for looked-after children

A long term project which set out to improve the self esteem of looked after children has been heralded as a success by all involved.

Funded by The Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Children Schools and Families, Image and Identity was one of 12 projects designed to encourage the sharing of collections, collaborative working and the exchange of best practice between national and regional museums.

Led by the Victoria and Albert Museum it brought together six regional museums in 2003, including Manchester City Galleries and the children's charity National Children’s Homes (NCS). Together they worked with looked-after children across the country to nurture their creativity and improve understanding of culture and identity through museum collections and the arts. 

Youngsters respond to collections

On the Manchester leg of the project, art works from Beyond the Page – part of the Festival of Muslim Cultures which took place across Britain in 2006 – were used to show young people how museum objects can convey social, historical and cultural messages about the societies they come from. The youngsters were encouraged to respond to the exhibition by making artworks of their own, based on the theme of image and identity, in a series of workshops led by two freelance artists.

In another example, the youngsters created ‘tactile’ postcards which enabled them to explore their own identities and the cultures of others. A selection of the works produced were then shared with other communities and exhibited in the Manchester Art Gallery between September 2006 and April 2007.

As project lead Harriet Hall described, “many of the young people involved in the project had come from very troubled backgrounds; but as a result of the project they were able to express themselves creatively, improving their social skills and levels of self esteem in the process.”

Improved understanding of Islamic culture

The project has also helped predominantly white youngsters develop a deeper understanding of Islamic art and culture in relation to their own identities and backgrounds.

There have been a number of other benefits. Museum staff have become more adept at working with vulnerable young people, while teachers and youth workers are increasingly turning to museums for help with their educational programmes.

In 2007/08 the project continued, its theme the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade, and further projects are due to take place in 2009.

For more detailed information on Manchester City Galleries' Image and Identity project please visit the case study section on the MLA research website