Academic Engagement

REcollectionsbrought together a cross-disciplinary panel of academics, curators and cultural specialists to help shape the acquisition of a national youth culture collection. Their involvement was critical in interpreting the breadth of public nominations we received and in guiding the Museum’s curatorial framework.

On 10 December 2024, we convened a five-hour expert panel meeting to review the full longlist and select a core group of 50–100 objects for acquisition.

The group offered vital curatorial insight, helping us consider the historical, social and material significance of each object while ensuring the final collection remained accessible, engaging and reflective of the public submissions. Questions of definition and boundaries also emerged — such as how early in life youth culture begins, and whether everyday health items should be included. These discussions helped clarify our institutional approach, affirming our focus on the cultural outputs of teenage life: fashion, music, subculture and counterculture.

Working with academics allowed us to balance public voice with historical context. The panel’s involvement strengthened our acquisition methodology and helped ensure that the final shortlist is not only representative and democratic, but also robust and grounded in research. This collaborative model of expert consultation will remain central as we continue to build the Museum’s permanent collection.


DOWNLOAD OBJECT LIST

THE PANEL

•Dr. Francesca Sobande (Cardiff University) – digital culture and intersectionality
•Aditi Anand (Migration Museum) – storytelling and exhibitions
•Professor Matthew Worley (University of Reading) – youth culture and subcultures
•Catherine Ritman-Smith (V&A) – learning and engagement
•Professor Catherine Clarke (Institute of Historical Research) – cultural history and heritage
•Professor Lucy Robinson (University of Sussex) – contemporary history
•Dr. Nedim Hassan (Liverpool John Moores University) – music and media cultures
•Dr. Nirmal Puwar (Goldsmiths) – race and cultural studies
•Dennis Nothdruft (Fashion and Textile Museum) – fashion curation