When we launched REcollections: Handling Youth Culture Histories, we knew it would be one of the most ambitious stages in our journey so far. This was about handing the microphone back to the public and asking “what are we missing?”, “What do you think belongs in a Museum of Youth Culture?”

It was never going to be an easy task. Reaching out to thousands of people, setting up on high streets, delivering workshops, scanning photos at festivals, and asking strangers about their teenage years, this kind of work takes time, trust and boots on the ground. But the result has been one of the most rewarding projects we have carried our here at MOYC. 

REcollections has allowed us to shape the foundation object collection for what will be the world’s first museum object collection dedicated entirely to youth culture. It arrives at the perfect moment, as we prepare to open the doors to our new permanent space in Camden St Pancras later this year.

Thanks to this project, we move forward not just with a growing archive, but a fully equipped and professionally managed one - built in collaboration with the public and with conservation at its core.

It has also allowed us to take serious steps toward museum accreditation, a process we are now undertaking through the London Museums Group. These developments are setting the stage for the next chapter of the Museum of Youth Culture, and that is something we are all incredible excited about.

To quote from Prof Lucy Robinson’s evaluation report: "I think every single one of us [is an expert on youth culture heritage]. They're experts on youth culture, and we've all been there, haven't we?."

We remain incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and to National Lottery players for making this work possible - and to everyone who took part, from the streets of Scarborough to the raving fields of Dorset.