A museum is set to celebrate Kids in Museums Takeover Day with a week of behind-the-scenes activities.

On Friday, November 22, Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life will welcome three Year 11 students from a local secondary school for a work experience placement, as well as a Key Stage 2 class (Years 3-6) from a nearby primary school, who will be participating in a learning experience on Takeover Day itself.

Takeover Day sees museums, galleries, historic homes, archives, and heritage sites across England 'taken over' by children and young people.

Backed by Arts Council England funding, the charity Kids in Museums launched Takeover Day in 2010 to help historic institutions give children meaningful roles in their organisations.

Since its launch, more than 40,000 children and young people have taken part.

Despite being closed during the week, the museum will welcome the work experience students, who are also members of the museum’s youth panel, to take part in a variety of tasks throughout the week.

Their responsibilities will encompass curatorial tasks like cataloguing, scanning, and archiving, along with supporting the museum's monthly Veterans’ Lunch event.

The students will also act as 'co-creators,' designing and organising a 'special learning activity' for a visiting primary school class.

This session will introduce pupils to the different job roles within a museum.

The young co-creators will receive guidance from museum staff throughout the process, from planning and preparation to executing the activity.

This initiative aligns with Creative Careers Week, aiming to inspire primary school pupils and secondary school students by showcasing the diverse opportunities within the museum and heritage sector.

Participants will gain skills in collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.

Rachel Brodie, learning and events assistant at Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life and young trustee for Kids in Museums, said: "Takeover Day is a fantastic opportunity for young people to experience the inner workings of a museum and to get involved in creative careers.

"We are thrilled to be working with both the work experience students and the visiting primary school class.

"This week is all about empowering young people and giving them a chance to explore the many career paths within the heritage sector."