Since 2018, two Young Trustees have sat on the Kids in Museums Board as part of our ongoing work to promote young people’s voices in the heritage sector. We want to meaningfully represent young people’s views at the highest level within our organisation and encourage other heritage organisations to do the same.

The roles, which are open to 18 to 25 year olds, involve a competitive selection process and offer an opportunity for young people to develop their leadership skills and experience in the heritage sector.

We are delighted to welcome our new Young Trustees for 2022/23:

  • Eilish Calnan, Project Support Officer for the Tresorys Kernow Project at Cornwall Museums Partnership
  • Afzal Khan, Freelancer and member of the Our Shared Cultural Heritage collective at Manchester Museum.

Eilish and Afzal will be paired with one of our nine existing Trustees, who will provide support and advice on their new roles. The new Trustees will receive governance training and will be responsible for representing our Youth Panel’s views to the Board.

Emmajane Avery, Chair of Kids in Museums, said: “Young Trustees have been a huge asset to our organisation, bringing new ideas, strengthening our networks and reinforcing our decision making. I’d like to welcome Eilish and Afzal to Kids in Museums. We are looking forward to working with them both and helping them to develop as future leaders in the heritage sector.”

To find out more about introducing Young Trustees at your heritage site, visit the Young Trustees Movement website.

Meet our Young Trustees

Eilish Calnan

Eilish works at Cornwall Museums Partnership as Project Support Officer for the Tresorys Kernow Project, previously working as the Heritage Awards Coordinator. She has worked and volunteered in museums and heritage since 2017, in varying roles from education and archival work to interpretation and research.

Eilish studied History at the University of Exeter, with a focus on heritage and Celtic history. Eilish also sits on the board of trustees for South Kerrier Heritage Trust who manage the Museum of Cornish Life. She is passionate about sustainability and accessibility, especially in a rural context.

Outside of work, Eilish can be found reading, cooking and listening to music, sea swimming or hanging out with her cat and partner. She also enjoys exploring Cornwall and visiting its many museums and heritage sites.

Afzal Khan

Afzal is a freelancer, who has worked with the British Museum and Manchester Museum on various projects. He has recently completed his MA in South Asian Area Studies at SOAS University of London and is a member of the Our Shared Cultural Heritage collective at Manchester Museum, which seeks to test and evaluate new models for engaging young people from the South Asian diaspora and their peers with heritage.

He is especially interested in South Asian art and poetry, having hosted various events on these topics. He likes cats too.

 

Visit our Trustees page to read more about the Kids in Museums Board.