A NEW exhibition by the Young Curators group was launched at Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum yesterday.

Created by local young people, the exhibition explores the history of Salisbury’s trade guilds and the city’s development.

The Young Curators group was set up by Salisbury Arts Centre earlier this year through a grant of £33,500 from Heritage Lottery Fund.

The weekly workshop group teaches young people aged 13 to 18 about local heritage, events management and exhibition design, either working towards an Arts Award qualification or simply gaining valuable experience.

Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum helps out with additional resources and expertise to aid the Young Curators in creating real exhibitions and events with a local history focus.

The group has been exploring Salisbury’s heritage as a market town through the museum’s collections.

Its first exhibition earlier this year explored the history of Salisbury’s wool trade and was very well received.

Following this success, the second exhibition will be more prominently featured within the museum, with displays that infiltrate the museum’s display cabinets.

The group have looked at historic objects related to Salisbury’s trade guilds and interpreted the stories and characters behind them to create the new exhibition.

Museum director Adrian Green said: “We’re delighted to be able to work in partnership with Salisbury Arts Centre and to support a project that engages young people with their local heritage and museum.”

He added: “These youngsters are the curators of tomorrow and it is a wonderful opportunity for them to get hands-on experience of creating and exhibiting a project.

“It is also good for the museum to see how our younger audience views history and interacts with it.”

The exhibition will be on display until January 16.

Normal visiting hours and entry fees for the museum apply. Visit salisburymuseum.org.uk for more information.

The Young Curators group will continue in January 2014 and places are available.

Contact info@salisburyarts.co.uk for more information.