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By young people for young people - A report on the impact of GENEXT at MCA Australia

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I’m really excited to finally be able to share the report I spent so much of last year working on at MCA Australia in my capacity as Young Creatives Coordinator.

This 12-month-long undertaking, working with cultural research agency Patternmakers was commissioned to better understand the impact of GENEXT, which has welcomed over 30,000 teenagers since it launched in 2005.

Being able to qualify - and quantify - the impact of programs like this is so important, not just to help make the case for things like funding, but also to really help with program development, institutional advocacy and increased support and outreach to and for young people.

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You can download the Executive Summary here and read the full report here but some key findings include:

96% of attendees agree that GENEXT offers a safe and supportive environment that welcomes young people from different backgrounds

87% say that GENEXT has made them think about social and cultural issues (as opposed to 77% of general MCA visitors)

74% of attendees say that GENEXT has helped them to express their identity

8 in 10 feel that GENEXT positively impacted their overall wellbeing

Peer-led learning is critical with 93% of attendees saying it is important that GENEXT is made by young people, for young people

90% of attendees believe that it’s important to experience the work of contemporary artists

54% of attendees say they are likely to buy a work of art as a consequence of attending GENEXT (as opposed to 41% of non-GENEXT attendees)

30% of attendees identify as LGBTQI+, 31% speak a language other than English at home

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I acknowledge the Gadigal and Bidjigal peoples of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the unceded land on which I live and work and I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.