Arts and Culture collaborates with Spotlight, a creative youth service, on a new action research initiative to explore the role of arts in creative youth work

Led by Spotlight in partnership with Queen Mary Arts and Culture and Arts Council England, Creative Youth Work: Increasing inclusivity and relevance for young people accessing cultural provision brought together youth workers, artists, young people and researcher Dr Caleb Lee to develop a methodology for Creative Youth Work.

Read the report: Creative Youth Work: increasing access to the arts for young people

Dr Lee designed and led this research, focusing on inclusivity and relevance for young people accessing cultural provision. The project addressed the specific and complex issues faced by young people participating and progressing in arts and culture in youth settings, drawing on the expertise and experience of Spotlight staff in developing high-quality arts offers. Building on action research within Spotlight, this project increased capacity and understanding in conversation with other youth arts organisations including the Roundhouse, the Albany and Rich Mix.

 

 

About Spotlight and background to the research

 

Across London, youth centres and specialist youth agencies engage large numbers of young people with under-represented, protected characteristics and those from disadvantaged socio-economic groups. Despite the prevalence of programming for youth, however, there is an ever-widening gap in the arts and cultural sector around understanding around how to adequately resource and support young people to develop, lead, and holistically benefit from arts programming and Creative Youth Work. Together with partners Queen Mary Arts and Culture and Arts Council England, Spotlight have identified a need for research within youth arts programming to propose a robust methodology which can be rolled out sector-wide.

 

Through an innovative model of shaping arts programming for young people by young people, Spotlight leads the field of creative youth arts provision by fostering youth-led creative collaborations in Media, Music, Visual Art and Design and Theatre and Dance. As a youth service for Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association, Spotlight opened in 2014 in a brand new purpose built creative youth space in Langdon Park. Since then Spotlight has worked with over 8,000 young people delivering a programme designed to increase confidence and aspirations, build healthy relationships and empower young people.

 

Find out more about Spotlight here.