Our Young Creatives programme is a diverse, exploratory, innovative and experimental programme of activity with and for young people. Whatever the artform, at the very heart of all our programmes is the desire to encourage arts-led inquiry and offer the means to discover and enhance a language of self expression in participants.

We work with partners to embed activity with existing groups in familiar and safe spaces that help break down perceived barriers to creative participation and engagement.

Arts Active Youth-led Action Research Programme

Over the past two years Arts Active has been working with a cohort of young people – creatives who are engaging in youth-led action research projects to explore and develop solutions to the issues that they and their peers are faced with. 

Engineer:

The idea for Engineer came from a workshop facilitated by Fahadi Mukulu & Nirushan Sudarsan about the concept of the UN Child Friendly City and a discussion led by our Youth Panel which took place at Festival of Voice 2022 (WMC). 

Over the last 12 months Sahar Alhakkak-Martinez & Clara Hartley have been investigating what, if any, Fair Access to space exists for young people, across the Cardiff City Region for young people. They developed a Workbook documenting the process. They spoke with peers who want space in which they can thrive and build agency together and they spoke to other people trying to do this. What they found was that any spaces that are there are either programmed by someone else, transactional, temporary or extractive. 

To develop their work further the Sahar and Clara identified a steering group of young people with shared life experiences who want to collaborate to drive this process – everyone sharing skills and building capabilities. They plan to meet in person, test ideas, fire up imagination, share learning, bring others onboard, and connect communities of interest. 

They have met experts who will cooperatively support this project that include One Planet Council; We Can Make; Bro Ffestiniog Skyline project; WSA. They have discovered passionate supporters at Umbrella, Dyddiau Du, Oriel Canfas, Valleys Kids, Citrus Arts. There is general excitement about contributing to an inclusive youth-led approach and the reciprocal organisational learning from the young people.  

This ongoing phase of research and development is being supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. 

Reading Rooms 

Research and Development of Reading Rooms Wales programme

‘The Reading Rooms is a unique experience where we are part of choosing the books/authors and taking charge of the conversation when facilitating the events. I am someone that does not read frequently, but facilitating allows me to engage with the text in depth and develop new skills and hold a deeper conversation.’ Shoruk Nekab 

Our Reading Room aims to make a positive and lasting difference in society by empowering young people with critical thinking, civic-powered skills, and the ability to engage in debates and oratory. 

The project aims to create a community of critical, ethical, and well-informed young citizens who are empowered to contribute to their communities and the wider future of Wales.

Activity so far:

The group has already tested and developed an approach which was described in this IWA blog by team members Amira Hayat and Nirushan Sudarsan.

With support from a Taith Pathway 2 Grant we are consulting and developing our project consulting with international Reading Room partners. A study trip to Berlin to meet with other Reading room leads will take place this summer and we will be planning Reading Room events for the next Spring.

Watch this space for updates on our findings and progress.

The team’s vision for the Project

A group of young people have developed and driven the project from the start. Their ambition moving forward is to work on the ground with local community connectors to get more young people involved in post-industrial areas of Wales including Rhondda in year 2 and Blaenau Ffestiniog in year 3. 

The project will develop and embed a progressive Welsh Language Strategy and work towards a Reading Room hosted by a Welsh speaking community so we focus on the progressive radicalism of the ‘Welsh mind’. This development of the programme in Wales is being supported through a Supporting Good Ideas grant from the National Lottery.

Further information and updates will follow about this partnership programme.