A guest post from Baz, our Secondary and Post-16 Science coordinator, and Hina, a local student, on a new skills development programme.
Every year the University of Manchester runs the Manchester Access Programme (MAP), a flagship widening participation scheme for local Year 12 students that aims to support entry to the University of Manchester, or another research-intensive university. The idea is for the students to complete a portfolio of work through which they gain skills that will not only support them as they complete their current school or college work, but will also ensure that they are prepared for university study. In return, all students who successfully complete MAP and start an undergraduate course at the University of Manchester receive scholarship funding and a reduced offer of up to two A-level grades.
As part of the Museum’s work to explore new and different ways of supporting school and college students, we teamed up with our MAP colleagues to create a new offer that involved planning and delivering a museum event. From April to September we worked with a group of 15 Year 12 students from colleges across the northwest. With the help of members of our events and marketing teams, the group gained a range of new skills as they worked through the whole process of planning and organising an event – from brainstorming ideas through to its delivery.
The event, ‘Spotlight at the Museum’, was successfully delivered back in September, as Hina, one of our MAP students, explains below:
Since April, I have been a member of the museum ‘Lates Team’ where I and a few other MAP students worked alongside wonderful members of museum staff to create a night to remember. When we had our first ever meeting we were given a tour of the museum as a source of inspiration for the event, which gave us lots to discuss. We all had many ideas as to what our event would be about, with some more on the political spectrum and others leaning more towards topics to make you think introspectively.
We brainstormed our plan for the museum late over a few meetings and finally we all agreed on the one idea we believed stood out most and allowed us to celebrate a part of what makes up Manchester; the music and the culture. In order to bring our ideas to life we were assigned roles such as inviting bands to play at the museum for the night to showcase their talent, and organising the henna, face glitter and photo booth stalls where members of the community could get glitz and glam.
One of the goals of this museum late was to raise money for 42ndStreet, a charity that supports young people with their emotional well-being and mental health, and we did this through showing people what happens when Manchester comes to the museum. This was the first ever museum late organised by MAP students and it was indeed a success as every member of the team enthusiastically played a part.
On the day of the event I circulated between the henna stall (where people were thrilled by the intricate designs done by my skilled friends) and raising money by selling raffle tickets which led to an eventful announcement towards the end of the night. I had glitter painted onto my face for the first time in ten years and henna livening up my hands.
The Manchester bands set a lively atmosphere for the whole event, much to the enjoyment of the Mancunians who were chatting away at the stalls and dancing to the music. This event was the embodiment of what Manchester is; a multicultural place enthralled with unity. I most definitely enjoyed being a part of this journey and would do it all again.
On the back of such a successful project, we are currently working to develop another offer for this year’s cohort of MAP students, with the idea of organising a family event in the summer that will be themed around our collections, so watch this space…
hello future 