For over a year, we’ve been working in exciting fun ways with young people to explore heritage, identity and belonging and we are so delighted with the feedback we are receiving
Fatima, age 21, joined Manchester Museum Young Collective in January 2020:
I think it is important to mention the significance and value of the weekly meetings, both physically before Covid, and after, using Zoom. I think the value of these meetings cannot be overstated. They strengthen the relationships that we in the group have with each other and thus, they are fundamental in shaping the group to be a place where everybody feels comfortable discussing theirs and others ideas. Additionally, I think that because the group is a comfortable space, new members who join the Collective, feel immediately welcomed. This was certainly the case for me. I was nervous joining the group but there is an immediate sense of ease and openness conveyed in the meetings.
I also very much enjoyed participating in the planning for the multilingual Beauty and the Beasts event. Being from a mixed ethnic background, it has meant a lot to me on a personal level to be able to participate and communicate openly with others on matters that are important to me, and which are not always approached in predominantly monocultural circles (my university experience). I love how open everybody is to different ideas, and accepting of my own ideas even when I was very new to the group when the planning Beauty and the Beasts.
Working with Sadia has been an absolute pleasure; I cannot fault her leadership in any way. She is kind, wise, open-minded, and very welcoming. She is always keen to promote our personal development, by constantly encouraging us and offering us all opportunities for various things. Her leadership really shines here as she has the ability to recognise and remember each individuals’ strengths and therefore which opportunities are best suited to them. Sadia is incredibly supportive and very approachable with every matter, and I am able to communicate with her at any given time; this is very important to me personally, being new to the group. Furthermore, it is very apparent that Sadia has a wonderful skill in communicating with all age groups, who are from different backgrounds.
I think it is all so great; welcoming, informative, and there are many opportunities.
I’ve been developing key skills: teamwork, communication, preparation and organisation. The project is particularly incredible because it allows me to work with the museum critically (opening up the institution to various groups of people who have been traditionally and indirectly excluded from such spaces). The Collective has given me the opportunity to not only experience the immense planning and technicalities of organisation of events, but it has also allowed me to experience very important aspects of the cultural and arts industry. I have also had the opportunity to meet exceptional people, such as academics (The Mughals history session with Dr. Zalan) and poets (for e.g. the 4/8/20 colourism and colonialism workshop with Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan (the Brown Hijabi), and designers and more.
I participated in the planning and organisation of the multilingual Beauty and the Beasts event in Sylvia’s Space at Manchester Museum. I designed both the advertising poster and itinerary for the event. I particularly enjoyed designing the poster for the event and receiving feedback from other members in the group on how to improve the piece. I have also created a cover for a future post on the blog related to the wonderful and many cuisines of South Asia. Additionally, I designed the cover for the collective’s anti racist education book list. I have also attended and participated in discussions during the designer presentations event. I was also one of the young people who presented during Dr Zalan’s Mughal history session.
Our Shared Cultural Heritage 