Poppy Young: An incredibly impactful experience
Assisting with the Shared Island Stories youth exchange this has been the highlight of my year and was an incredibly impactful experience for me as I gather observations and consider best practices in my future work. I grew up on a small island in the Inner Hebrides before moving to the mainland to pursue my undergraduate degree in Scottish Ethnology. Throughout this time, I focused largely on the intangible cultural heritage in the Hebrides and how communities engage with their culture. During my master’s I have furthered this by exploring the idea of community collaboration in the museum space and the interconnectedness between nature and culture in practice. I have gathered that the youth are a powerful tool that are too often overlooked, often being considered under the context of ‘future adults’ rather than as active agents in their own right. This exchange has opened my eyes to the approaches that can be used to involve young people in cultural activity, in a way that holistically considers nature and culture and encourages them to be active in their own communities and in wider global issues.
The activities involving intangible cultural heritage were of particular interest to me, as these rely largely on intergenerational transmission and contextual learning to be sufficiently impactful. Through my observations it was clear that these young people responded greatly to collaborative discussions with older community members and that the environment in which discussions took place was essential for sparking further questions and providing a backdrop to learning. One activity in which these elements were particularly prevalent was the visit to Donald-John, a Harris Tweed weaver. This experience was highly personal as it took place at his own home and with just a small number of participants. Donald-John’s enthusiasm for showcasing one of Lewis and Harris’ most prized practices, created an environment in which the participants felt able to ask questions and developed a good understanding of what the tradition means to the individual weaver. He was also kind enough to allow participants a turn on his loom which only furthered enjoyment and understanding of weaving mechanics. This type of hands-on experience proved successful not only in illustrating weaving tradition itself or promoting spirited discussion between participants, but in creating a cherished memory for those present. This was just one example of the people of the islands being so keen to share their culture and crafts with us, in a way that was truly heartwarming and greatly appreciated by all.
Each of the youth participants shared their own experiences throughout the trip in a way that created valuable discussion and promoted solution-focused conversations about the future. Seeing the enthusiasm from these participants and the connections that were made across our cultures was inspiring and left me feeling hopeful for the future of our world. This exchange allowed me to learn more about myself and my culture as an islander but also expanded my understanding of culture in the Caribbean and just how many connections can be made across the globe. I hope to continue this learning throughout my career and continuously expand my knowledge of other areas of the world and our global relationships. I cannot wait to see what these young people do with the future, and I cannot imagine the world in better hands.
