Youth Forum
"My time in the NPG Youth Forum was the most inspiring and influential period of my life as a student and young person. The Youth Forum isn’t just a community where young people can meet other likeminded Art-lovers, it’s a safe place to be heard and inspire change. It gave me many opportunities to get involved with the Gallery and its Collection, and allowed me to meet the incredible people who work behind the scenes. The Youth Forum is a guiding hand for the future, and was instrumental in helping me get to where I am today.”
Interested in art and culture, history, portraiture, and better futures for young people? Join Youth Forum and have your voice heard.
Youth Forum is a group young people aged 14-21 living across the UK, who collaborate with the Gallery to make a positive difference, learn new skills and meet like-minded peers.
Youth Forum covers a range of activities – everything from artist and curator talks, creative workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, events production, advising on policies and much more. Sessions take place monthly, in the Gallery and online, so you can get involved wherever you live.
As a Gallery with a national collection working with young people, we want the opportunities we provide to be inclusive, relevant and responsive to what young people want. Youth Forum plays a crucial role to be a ‘sounding board’, providing feedback, so we can make the youth offer the best it can be for all those who take part. Get involved!
Why join Youth Forum?
Meet other young people
Get to know like-minded people, share interests and socialise at regular meetings in the Gallery and online (including an annual thank you party!)
Behind-the-scenes access
Meet colleagues in different departments – from curatorial to collections to communications. Find out more about creative careers, and pathways into working in the creative sector.
Have your say
Share with us what you would like to see at NPG, and what we can do better when thinking about the future of the youth programme, including how to make it more accessible.
Get creative
Enjoy creative sessions with professional artists inspired by our collection. You can add these to portfolios, or just do for fun!
Add to your CV
Grow your skills and experience, which can be used for your next steps.
Talk about topics that matter to you
Discover inspiring stories in the collection and connect with contemporary themes like LGBTQIa+, equality, diversity, mental health and more.
How to join
If you’re interested in joining and
- you’re aged 14-21
- you’re based anywhere in the UK
- you’re keen to make a difference, build skills and meet new people
Email [email protected] with ‘Youth Forum’ as the subject to get involved.
In your email, tell us a little bit about yourself – your name, age, and if you would join online or at the Gallery.
Data Protection
The National Portrait Gallery is committed to protecting your privacy. All personal data provided will be held and processed securely by the Gallery in accordance with the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. It will only be used to administer your enquiry or booking in accordance with the Gallery’s public task; and will be retained by the Gallery for as long as is necessary to administer your enquiry or booking. Your personal data will not be passed to any third parties. For more information, please refer to the Gallery’s Privacy Notice.