Engaging Youth Audiences in Caribbean Museums

Abstract

Community engagement has become a central and essential aspect of the museum process. As part of this shift in focus, museums are broadening their scope and aim to be inclusive to a multitude of communities. One of the audience groups that museums are specifically seeking to engage are youth audiences. This paper discusses youth engagement by presenting examples from museums in the Caribbean. It attempts to increase the diversity of the museological debate by extending the discussion to practices from the Caribbean region.

The paper begins by contextualizing the discussion: the history of the purpose of museums as educational institutions is linked to the contemporary transformation to museums as social agents. Youth engagement is placed partially within educational theories, although the important role of museums as facilitators for social inclusion and cultural performances is also stressed. Theoretical concepts are used to present a number of ways in which youth audiences can be defined, for instance by learning style or visiting group. The core of the paper is a collection of Caribbean examples of youth engagement processes or projects grouped by different approaches and desired outcomes. It concludes with a plan of action for youth engagement in museums.