Youth Advisory Board
How did we get here?
At the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) we are keen to embed young people’s insights into our organisation and outreach projects, our goal is to remove barriers to young people’s participation and facilitate a youth-led approach through our Youth Advisory Board.
Why have we created this event?
This event was created by the YAB and funded by Historic England in response to the growing demand in UCAS applications and apprenticeships schemes to have practical knowledge of the career or course they are interested in. However, with the extinction of the Archaeology A-Level and the increasing inaccessibility of community excavations or volunteering experiences, the likelihood of young people gaining meaningful experience in the sector has become very difficult. The YAB additionally recognised the lack of similar events in the North East compared to other large cities across the country, and so chose the Great North Museum: Hancock in the hopes that local young people from the North East will get an opportunity to experience this jam-packed day of archaeology!
In 2022, working with youth voice specialists Sound Connections, we commissioned a report to understand and engage with young people. Based on what young people told us we developed a project to embed young people's voices into the CBA, which was based on the establishment of the Youth Advisory Board.
Find out more about the day
There will be four activities on the day, and you will have the opportunity to pick two of those. Each activity will last for 75 minutes, and you will have the opportunity to learn firsthand from sector professionals. The small group size will allow you to ask any questions you have and learn in a relaxed, informal environment.
If networking isn’t your thing – don’t worry! We will have self-guided trails and activities to complete around the museum available, so you can explore the museum and Newcastle’s history at your own pace if you wish.
A preliminary schedule for the day is outlined below:
What is the CBA Youth Advisory Board?
The board consists of 12 people, aged 18-25, representing young people from different backgrounds across the UK. Our Young Advisors are passionate about making a change in society, eager to upskill, and use their voice to make a difference at the CBA, in the archaeology and heritage sector, and beyond. As an organisation, there is so much we can learn from young people, and equally, we want to support their own personal development too.
On our meet the Board page you will find profiles for each of the Young Advisors:
Over the past 12 months our Young Advisors have been involved in lots of different activities and events, many of which they have co-created and co-produced. They include:
- Co-producing a Youth Day event in collaboration with English Heritage’s Young Producers for the 2024 Festival of Archaeology
- Attending CIfA 2024 Conference, Gateways to Heritage and the Heritage Forum 2024 as panel speakers
- Writing for British Archaeology magazine
- Keynoting at the Student and Early Careers Conference
- Attending CBA Trustee Meetings and visiting the CBA office to meet staff and trustees
- Developing a Youth Advisory Board Strategy and brand identity
- Representing the CBA YAB at the Archaeological Achievement Awards
If you are interested in getting involved with the CBA but the Youth Advisory Board is not recruiting and/or you want something a bit more light touch, take a look at our Young Associate Network (for ages 16-25).
Our Youth Advisory Board is funded by Historic England and The Headley Trust