Announcing UK partners for fifth year of youth-led arts programme

In Newcastle, Tyneside Cinema and NE Youth were selected as Key Partners. Tyneside Cinema is an arts hub and registered charity that provides a platform for marginalised members of the community. It aims to enrich people's lives by thinking differently about film and its potential to connect, reward, celebrate and educate.

NE Youth is a leading regional youth organisation which provides services to young people and infrastructure support to the wider youth sector. They believe that all young people deserve to get involved in their communities and achieve their potential, working collaboratively with them to support them to grow and develop.

Ellen Wiltshire, Culture and Heritage Coordinator at Tyneside Cinema, said: 'Tyneside Cinema is thrilled to be part of the Where we are… project and to be selected as the first cinema in the UK to take part in this programme. We have partnered with the fantastic NE Youth, a charity that is vital to supporting young people in the North East. Providing young people in our community a platform to explore and express their creativity through co-production is key to supporting talent development in the region. This partnership will support us to create a lasting legacy, empowering young people to contribute to the cultural landscape and make a meaningful impact for years to come.'

Gemma Lockyer Turnbull, Deputy CEO of NE Youth, said: 'We are absolutely delighted to be part of this exciting partnership with Tyneside Cinema and the British Museum. We are excited to work in partnership with young people in order to co-produce solutions to remove barriers to cultural activities and venues, helping to ensure equity and inclusion for all.'
 

In Peterborough, Metal and The Kite Trust were selected. Metal is an arts centre that brings artists and communities together to inspire positive change, through a wide range of events, exhibitions and participatory projects. It works within communities on a national and international scale with sites in Liverpool, Peterborough and Southend-on-Sea. They have supported over 11,000 artists, hosted over 110,000 participants and welcomed over eight million audience members.

The Kite Trust supports the wellbeing and creativity of LGBTQ+ young people in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and surrounding areas through information, support and groups. It builds inclusive communities to tackle inequalities through consultancy, training and education to all sectors.

Ruth Campbell-Ekins, Director of Metal Peterborough, said: 'We're thrilled to be taking part in the British Museum's Where we are... programme with our partner The Kite Trust. We're looking forward to working with young people in Peterborough to identify what matters to them and to create a new arts project together. This is a brilliant initiative that we hope will provide young people opportunities for creative experiences and skills development in the city.'

Pip Gardner, Chief Executive of The Kite Trust, said: 'The Kite Trust is delighted to be partnering with the British Museum and Metal on this project. We're looking forward to creating a series of workshops that will engage, excite and bring new experiences to young people. Creativity is central to our work with young people, and this project will provide those who need it most with the opportunity to express themselves.'
 

Recent Where we are… projects have included the Who We Are (2025) exhibition in Doncaster, where young people developed an installation that recreates a young person's bedroom, considering how this space shapes identity. In Wolverhampton, the Walking with Wolves (2025) exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery reflects on experiences of growing up in Wolverhampton, intertwined with the city's rich industrial heritage, high street, and architectural landscape.  

Hanouf Al-Alawi, National Outreach Manager at the British Museum, said: 'We were incredibly impressed by the teams in Newcastle and Peterborough, and I look forward to seeing everything they achieve in this year of the Where we are… programme. We are always keen to attract new audiences through different types of venue, and we are excited to work with a cinema for the very first time this year. It was so inspiring to hear about the commitment of each of these partners to young people in their communities and I am confident that their projects will have a lasting impact.'

The British Museum's National Strategy
The British Museum is committed to sharing the collection and our knowledge as widely as possible to create a positive educational, social and economic impact across the UK. In 2024/25 the Museum lent nearly 2,000 objects to over 100 museums and galleries, reaching around eight million visitors outside of London. Our loans to partnership museums and galleries facilitate new perspectives on shared global histories, reflecting diverse viewpoints, lived experiences and collective ideas.

The British Museum also manages the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in England, recording and sharing British archaeological discoveries to help shape our understanding of the past.

Our National Programmes work is supported by the Dorset Foundation in memory of Harry M Weinrebe.