The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has partnered with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (LOCOG) to present a four-year project celebrating Britain's cultural heritage as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Kicking off in spring 2010, the £6m Stories of the World scheme will involve young people from local communities co-curating 14 connected exhibitions being hosted at 59 museums nationwide.

Andrew Motion, MLA chair, said: "Much of our museum's collections come from all over the world; brought here through exploration and trade and uncomfortably tied up with our imperial histories. These stories have often been described from the same, familiar perspective.

"Stories of the World makes a break from all that. It's hugely exciting that curators and historians are taking a back seat and we are connecting museum collections back with the people and communities they came from. It's equally as exciting to see young people engaged with museums and objects, helping to curate exhibitions and making them relevant to Britain today."

London will host the largest exhibition, which will involve 32 institutions, led by the Museum of London, the London Transport Museum and the Horniman and Geffrye Museums.

The British Library's In Your Own Words project will involve young people exploring its collection of 150 million objects, books, manuscripts, photographs and maps.

Jude Kelly, chair of LOCOG, added: "This unique project will bring people together to share their stories across generations and between cultures. It will inspire young people by bringing them into contact with some of the great thinkers, artists and historians of different times and places."