Museums across the UK are handing over their digital content to young people for our annual Digital Takeover Day on Friday 1 July 2022.

Every year we encourage museums, galleries, archives, historic homes and heritage sites to hand over their social media accounts for one day. Over 55 heritage sites and around 700 young people aged 5 to 25 have signed up to take part in this year’s event.

It helps museums to get a new perspective, amplify young people’s voices and understand how they can better support their youth audience. For young people, it helps them to improve their confidence, learn new digital skills and have influence and ownership over their local heritage.

The theme of this year’s event is wellbeing with over half of participants focusing on how they support the mental health of their young visitors.

View all Digital #TakeoverDay participants.

What’s happening on Digital #TakeoverDay 2022?

  • Buxton Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire – Kids in Museums Youth Panel member Tamera will share Buxton’s history as a spa town and museum activities that can support wellbeing, as well as how she supports her own mental health outside of work.
  • Chelsea Physic Garden, London – Intern, Andrea, will be highlighting the power of plants and gardens on health and wellbeing across the Garden’s social media platforms.
  • National Trust: Children’s Country House, Sudbury – Hear young Ambassadors talk about the parts of the Museum and Gardens experience that make them the happiest.
  • The Mary Rose, Portsmouth – On the 40th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose, young people will use the search and recovery of the wreck to discuss resilience and wellbeing.
  • National Portrait Gallery, London – The Gallery’s Youth Forum will be taking over @nationalportraitgallery to highlight the important role the Gallery is playing in supporting their mental health and wellbeing.

Several museum sector leaders will also hand their personal accounts over to young people, including Hedley Swain, CEO of Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust, and Elizabeth McKay, COO of London Transport Museum.

Follow the action using our hashtag #TakeoverDay. Support by engaging with young people’s posts or sending out a tweet in support using the hashtag.

Inspired to join our next Takeover Day? Find out more about our event on Friday 18 November.