Charleston shortlisted for Best Museum Careers Initiative in the national Kids in Museums awards
Charleston shortlisted for Best Museum Careers Initiative in the national Kids in Museums awards.
The prestigious annual awards celebrate museums and heritage organisations across the UK that go above and beyond to create welcoming, inspiring and accessible experiences for children, young people and families. This year's special category recognises museums that are helping young people explore careers in the cultural sector and develop the skills they need for the future. In response to the shortage of high-quality creative placements (for students studying subjects such as art and design, photography, illustration, fashion, media production and animation), identified by East Sussex College, Charleston launched this programme for local students in September 2024.
Working closely with Charleston's teams across exhibitions, learning, marketing, exhibitions and collections, students gain first-hand experience of working in a museums and galleries context while developing practical skills, confidence and an understanding of the many career pathways available within the creative industries. Some activities that the young people have participated in include: filming talent during Charleston Festival, interviewing authors and artists, working with curators to produce family guides and running screenprinting workshops for the public.
Students leading a screenprinting workshop
Charleston opened its second site in Lewes town centre in September 2023 with support from Lewes District Council in order to reach new audiences and increase impact. In less than two years, this partnership has delivered over £4m of economic impact for the town and brought £180,000 of philanthropy to support an ambitious schools programme for young people.
Throughout the programme these students have contributed to industry-relevant projects with public-facing outcomes. They have designed resources to make exhibitions more accessible for neurodiverse visitors, recorded podcasts and interviews with exhibiting artists and curators, facilitated creative workshops for visitors, and helped create interpretation and digital content for exhibitions. These experiences allow students to build professional portfolios while making a genuine contribution to our public programme work.
This work has had significant impact on student's professional development, employability and career aspirations. Following their placement 95% of students reported a better understanding of careers in the creative industries, and 73% said their communication and collaboration skills had improved.
The programme is designed to remove barriers to accessing creative careers. It is free to participate in, takes place during college hours and supports students from a wide range of backgrounds. Being shortlisted recognises Charleston's commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people and reflects our ambition to make creative careers accessible for all.
Councillor Johnny Denis, Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Tourism & Leisure, said:"I am delighted that Charleston in Lewes has been shortlisted for this Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award. This recognition reflects the strength of partnership working between Charleston, East Sussex College Group and Lewes District Council, and our shared commitment to widening access to creative opportunities for young people."
Nick Kidd, Head of Learning and Participation at Charleston added: "We are so excited about this nomination and recognition of our partnership with East Sussex College. Welcoming so many creative students to Charleston's Creative Skills Studio has changed how we work and who we're for. The programme breaks down barriers for students looking to start a career in museums and galleries, and will create a new generation of talent to shape the future of the arts."
Rebecca Conroy, CEO & Principal of East Sussex College, said: "We are absolutely thrilled that our partnership with Charleston has been recognised at a national level. This incredible collaboration is creating exceptional real-world opportunities for our students, strengthening their ambitions, confidence and skills for careers in the creative industries."
This nomination also builds on Charleston's wider commitment to welcoming children and young local people to Charleston through its learning and participation programme. Since launching in September 2023, over 5,000 young people have engaged in free-to-access schools projects, family activities, youth programmes, and community partnerships.
The winners of the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Awards will be announced this October.
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