Teenage sensation! Young and old get a kick from new Leeds exhibition

The Teenage Kicks display has been put together by members of Leeds City Museum’s Preservative Party young curator group, who are all aged between 14 and 24.

They decided what should be included after hearing stories and suggestions from older people who use Age UK’s Arch Cafe in the city centre.

Memorable occasions represented include The Beatles playing Leeds’s Odeon in 1963 and David Bowie’s shows at Kirkstall Rolarena in 1973.

Leeds United’s rivalry with Manchester United also features, as do the matches staged at Elland Road during Euro 96.

Esther Amis-Hughes, Leeds Museums and Galleries youth engagement officer, said: “It’s been an amazing experience for these young people, learning what life has been like for teenagers in Leeds over different generations and meeting people who knew what the city was like long before they were born.

“What’s become clear is that, whilst the activities and trends teenagers are into have very much changed and evolved over time, young people share a unique passion and enthusiasm for life that remains the same no matter what era they were born in.

“Hopefully the display the Preservative Party has created will not only bring back some memories for people in Leeds but also show them the common threads that link all our experiences of being a teenager together.”

The display can be found in the community corridor area of the free-to-visit Leeds City Museum.