In 2014, Auckland Museum took up the challenge of engaging youths in an outreach project to mark the one-hundredth anniversary of the battles of the ANZAC troops who fought in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. Although it was initially intended to be a only digital resource, the quality of the produced work and the great interest in the project all around soon led to the development of a major exhibition in 2015: Gallipoli in Minecraft.

During the development of the exhibition, the Museum team explored new ways of working to truly co-design it together with its target audience. This meant:
• Turning a learning programme into an exhibition
• Having youths involved with the process all the way
• Embracing gaming culture as an educational vehicle
• Bringing virtual reality technology into the galleries

This case study demonstrates the elements needed to successfully run an outreach programme with youths and how to involve them to co-design a truly immersive exhibition experience that works across all ages and cultural backgrounds.