Kick The Dust

Kick The Dust

Our £10million pilot programme to make heritage relevant to people aged 11-25 supported 12 ambitious projects between 2017 and 2023.

Responding to research revealing that young people were still under-represented as audiences, participants and volunteers in heritage, the Kick The Dust programme aimed to:

  1. increase the ambition, scale, and quality of youth engagement with heritage
  2. make heritage relevant to more and a greater diversity of young people, building on their needs and interests
  3. develop sustainable, ongoing work with young people within heritage organisations
  4. show the value of youth engagement with heritage

12 projects supported across the UK

Young people were deeply involved in all stages of Kick The Dust, including naming the programme. A team of 15 young Dustkickers helped decide the 12 projects that were awarded funding:

  • Norfolk Journeys: empowering young people to develop their own pathways into Norfolk’s heritage, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service (£776,500)
  • Y Heritage, The Y, Leicester (£707,500)
  • Future Proof Parks, Groundwork UK (£919,200)
  • Keeping it Wild, London Wildlife Trust (£886,600)
  • Our Shared Cultural Heritage, British Council (£868,600)
  • SHOUT OUT LOUD: giving young people a voice in heritage, English Heritage (£994,500)
  • Reimagine, Remake, Replay, The Nerve Centre (£949,600)
  • Hope Streets, Curious Minds (£1,000,000)
  • Scotland 365, National Museums Scotland (£776,000)
  • Don't Settle, Beatfreeks Arts Ltd (£696,700)
  • IGNITE - An Industrial Revolution for the 21st Century, IVE (£962,300)
  • Hands on Heritage, National Museum Wales (£874,554)

Find out more

Explore the links below to read more about Kick The Dust projects and the young people who took part.

Young people gathered around a red sofa
Ignite Yorkshire's Cactus Crew

Stories

A revolution in industrial heritage

In our conversation with Marie Millward, Ignite Yorkshire project manager, we discuss how to move beyond "nostalgia" to engage young people with our industrial past.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.