Participating in ACE/London Youth Research

 

2024     Phase 1 – we participated in 2 workshops

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INVITE:  “We are excited to invite you to participate in an important initiative with Arts Council England (ACE) and London Youth (LY) as we work together to enhance support for youth in London’s creative sector. ACE is refreshing its strategy to strengthen connections with youth sector organisations, especially those within London. As part of this initiative, ACE has identified a gap in grant funding applications from youth-oriented organizations, despite the considerable creative work being conducted with young people across the capital.  

  

In partnership with ACE, London Youth is leading a research project until March 2025. Through this project, we aim to gather insights from youth workers like you to help ACE understand and address the needs of grassroots youth and community organisations that support creative work with young people.  

 

We will host roundtable discussions to collect your feedback directly. Your insights, experiences, and perspectives are invaluable as we seek to find effective ways to empower and inspire young people's creative aspirations. Each roundtable will provide you with the opportunity to:  

 

- Share your views on the barriers and opportunities in supporting creative youth projects.  

- Contribute to ACE’s London Area objective to better support young people's creative ambitions.  

- Network with other youth workers dedicated to creative work with children and youth.  

- Meet some of the London Area ACE team, with the opportunity to gain valuable insights into their funding processes and advice on how to apply.”  

 

2025     Phase 2:  June Roundatables – we participated in 1 workshop

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Purpose of the Research

• Learn more about the opportunities, needs and gaps around arts, culture and creative initiatives youth organisations are interested in.

• Understand the importance and impact of arts and culture programmes at youth organisations

• Understand barriers and challenges to accessing funding for arts and culture programmes

• Understand the approach to partnership working and what support youth organisations would like to improve partnerships with the arts sector

• Understand what support or training needs youth organisations would benefit from

• Explore future aspirations

 

LY/ACE Development Group Notes August 2025
This brilliant group of youth professionals is coming together regularly to reimagine how youth organisations can support young people’s creative aspirations, especially by making space for them to thrive. We’ve also been exploring what we, as youth workers, need in terms of training and support to make that vision a reality.
 
Here are some highlights from the Development Group sessions: 
Session 1: Co-Designing Third Spaces
We kicked things off with a hands-on session full of Lego, playdough, and imagination. Tapping into our inner children, we prototyped our dream “third spaces” where young people can relax, connect, and create.

We explored what makes a space feel welcoming and inspiring, mapped young people’s needs and the barriers they face and co-designed playful, practical, and empowering spaces led by youth voice and creativity. This session was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we design with young people, not just for them.
 
Session 2: Building Support for Youth Workers
Next, we focused on what we need to support young people on their creative journeys. Through self-assessment and group discussion, we explored our confidence and needs around embedding youth voice in our work, partnering with artists and cultural institutions, creating pathways into creative careers and fundraising to make it sustainable.

We set bold goals and began shaping a collaborative and practical support offer to help youth workers lead this work with confidence and creativity.
 
Across both sessions, one message came through loud and clear: young people must be involved in shaping creative projects from start to finish, and youth workers need the tools, training, and support to make that happen.

 

Phase 3:  initiated November 2025 :  Shaping Creative Futures: Piloting Practice

Pilots Due to start March 2026 – we did not apply 

 

What is Piloting Practice?

Shaping Creative Futures: Piloting Practice is the next stage in our work to strengthen connections between the youth and cultural sectors.

 

This phase will bring together six youth organisations and six cultural partners to co-deliver creative activity with young people.  Each selected organisation will join one of three Working Groups to explore and develop practical frameworks for:

• Access & Progression – linking young people with internships, placements, and training.

• Space & Community Assets – connecting youth providers with underused creative spaces.

• Youth Sector Skills in Commissioning informed by Youth Voice – supporting small youth organisations and freelance artists to access creatives and creative opportunities.

 

All participating organisations will become part of the Youth Arts Network for London – a growing community of practice building shared tools, methodologies, and approaches to embed creativity and collaboration across London’s youth and cultural sectors.