A youth charity that’s worked with more than 30,000 young people, share why creativity could be key to opening the doors that keep slamming shut on the UK’s youth.
The doors of opportunity feel like they’re being slammed shut on Britain’s youth, as the outlook on future prospects feels increasingly hopeless. Artswork, the national youth charity championing creativity for change, has launched a new campaign, ‘What If?’ to call for more creative opportunities to help young people feel heard, build confidence and develop soft skills, all of which can unlock doors personally and professionally.
Recent data from Artswork found that of the 30,000 young people they’d worked with1
• 91% feel heard when taking part in creative opportunities
• 87% said that their confidence improved through working on creative programmes
• More than 6 times as many people are positively impacted when young people are enabled to make an active change in their community
This is against a backdrop of declining work placements and opportunities, entry level roles, increasing financial pressures and a shift in perspective on future prospects.
• Almost 1 million young people are not in employment, education or training2
• It’s estimated that around 4.5 million children and young people are living in poverty3
• More than half of young people are anxious about their future4
• 73% of teachers said there was not enough focus on preparing pupils for employment or developing “soft skills” with Alan Milburn, who’s leading a review into youth unemployment saying “communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity” are needed alongside formal qualifications5
Quotes:
“The social impact from creativity is needed now more than ever, not just for the benefit of our communities, but for children and young people directly. They don’t feel that they have a place – cuts to youth spaces, fewer job opportunities and less tolerance towards young people in general, are all weighing heavy. What-if aims to bring this conversation to the forefront of discussions around how we can offer hope through enabling young people to lead, be heard and develop the skills they personally and professionally need to thrive.” Annabel Cook, Co-CEO, Artswork.
“In today’s world it definitely feels like everybody shuts down opportunities for young people in favour of older candidates. However in this world of shut doors, opportunities given at Playland and Artswork finally feel like an open door to step through. Not only have I been able to further my creative skills and be part of a community it has given me new chances to gain job related skills and ideas I would have otherwise never had. I finally feel like my future is a clear path ahead of me and that is all thanks to Playland.” Kristin Collett, 21.
“Before getting involved with Artswork at Playland, I honestly didn’t feel like there were many opportunities out there for someone like me. It can feel like doors are shut before you’ve even had a chance to knock. Being part of Playland has completely changed that. It’s given me real skills, communication, teamwork, confidence, and shown me that I’m capable of more than I thought. Working with people from all different backgrounds has opened my eyes to what’s possible and made me feel genuinely excited about my future.” Binit Ghosh, Over 18
“The Breakthrough Programme has first and foremost allowed me to grow professionally without fear of judgement, pressure or making mistakes in the workplace. My confidence has developed massively throughout the process, and I am now able to open doors for myself more than ever, applying for new roles and putting my work into the world knowing that I belong in creative spaces.” Melissa Rosa (Breakthrough) Over 18
“As someone interested in the arts, my choice of degree was very specific. Whilst I learned a lot of creative and arts-based skills at university, I started to get concerned as my graduation loomed. I spent months applying for roles relevant to my degree, but the competition was strong and positions few. When I saw the Artswork role listed, I knew it was the opportunity for me: the skills listed were applicable to a variety of sectors and the application was very accessible. Honestly, the programme has completely exceeded myexpectations.
Artswork carefully selected an organisation (the South Coast Music Partnership) with real scope for listening to young voices, which means in all aspects of my role I have been surrounded by creative professionals willing to genuinely listen to my perspective, who also have a genuine interest in my future within the industry. Both the people at Artswork and at the South Coast Music Partnership have been able to offer me opportunities and trust my decision-making. This means I have grown in confidence, and had the opportunity to try my hand at a variety of different skills. Within this role, I have learned about co-production and youth voice, I’ve ran my own consultations, travelled around the south coast and introduced myself to a variety of new people; from creative professionals, to teachers, to other young people. After this experience, I can look at a job application and have something to say, I’ve grown in both personal and professional confidence and I’ve started to develop my network. I feel more confident about the variety of career paths that I could take, and I’m now more excited than nervous to take that journey.” Philippa, Over 18
Watch the campaign film on YouTube here
To find out more about the campaign, or to get involved visit
