In July 2022, our Young Creatives undertook our ‘Rethink Residency’, based in the Sammy Ofer Wing at the National Maritime Museum. The space, devised in 2019 as a follow on from the RETHINK gallery, was established to continue to collect visitor voices and feedback. Young People’s voices are an important part of this work.
What did the residency involve?
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Creative workshops
Over a week-long period, a group of young people aged 15-18 from the Greenwich Borough took part in a series of creative workshops that sought to rethink the museum and its current collections. Exploring and re-imagining the museum alongside each other, they devised a new series of questions for our visitors, inviting a critical eye on the role a museum plays and the objects it houses, and how objects can call for personal responses.
They worked with visual artist Charlotte Grayland, who programmed a week of collage, drawing, photography, soundscapes, painting, printing, badge making and zine making.
The zines and accompanying artworks displayed in the Rethink space provoke new ways of thinking and interpreting the museum and its collection, through the eyes and minds of our Young Creatives.
You can find the display near the Parkside entrance from Wednesday 9 November.
Soundscapes
Listen to the soundscape the group made here:
Public announcements
As part of the week, the group observed visitors to the museum and came up with their own set of instructions that were read out as a public announcement:
DON’T FORGET TO BLINK
Instructions for Museum Visitors
I would like the little girl to point at the boat painting
You need to smile at all times
Draw Pictures
Remember what you see
Look at Everything
Give us your best dance
Wave at a stranger
Pretend you're a boat
Use the exhibition room as a catwalk
Say hello to every portrait
Speak loudly in the room you're in
Smell something
Put your hands on your head
Clap or hum to Music
Look in the mirror and check yourself out
And lastly, don’t forget to blink
Information about the project
Young Creatives: Thawale, Rhianna, Serena, Serra, Linh, Tejasvi, Praise, Tee & Maddison
The Young Creatives project takes place three times per year (Summer holidays, October and February half-terms), and is a free offer for young people.
Project facilitated and curated by Charlotte Grayland
Funded by Young Greenwich and Charlton Athletic Community Trust
Young Creatives
Find out more about our projects for young people aged 15-18