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Our Impact

Artswork was founded in 1987 and with 39 years of supporting young people through creativity, our impact as an organisation is hard to truly measure. Over the last 3 years we have been collecting data from our programme of delivery as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. This page explores that impact data, and contains links to resources such as our infographics, yearly reviews, case studies, and project evaluations. In 2023-26:

  • 30,415

    children and young people have engaged in our programmes

  • 91%

    of children and young people we worked with felt heard

  • 87%

    of young people we have worked with across all our programmes felt their confidence has improved

Recent reports

  • a man being interviewed by a young boy, with another young boy filming and a woman sat listening, all in front of a ray of sun mural
  • Young girl wearing red hoodie smiling whilst speaking into a microphone
  • Three young people painting a mural designed to represent Dover's mining history with green and blue paint

Youth-led Placemaking

We have delivered over 30 youth-led projects in locations across the south-east through our Young Cultural Changemakers programme, from impactful murals to community cohesion events and festivals. We listen to what matters in local young people’s lives, and support them to enact positive change where they live through creative projects, often co-produced with professional artists. In 2023 – 26:

  • 17,933

    young people made active change in their communities through consultations and creative commissions

  • 128,053

    community members have been positively impacted by our youth-led changemaking work

9 young people (under 30) stand outside Playland with the sign in the background - the people are a mix of genders and ethnicities.
People stand in a dark room with colourful projections on the wall young and older person looking away from the camera, young person is flying an orange and yellow arrow shaped kite that says 'playland' on it in a cloudy sky, other kites are visible

Supporting Creative Communities

In addition to our Young Cultural Changemakers programme, we have set up a youth-led venue in the heart of Portsmouth – Playland. Playland supports local young people and the local creative community by providing opportunities for leadership, creative learning, and a space for belonging. In its first year, the Playland team of under 30’s have transformed the building into a creative hub, and hosted events and workshops for their peers and beyond.

Playland - Portsmouth
Young volunteer helping to deliver a clay tile workshop for a creative careers day

Careers

We run a number of programmes and projects that support young people to enter into meaningful creative careers. This includes Breakthrough, a 6‑month work-based learning programme with placements at creative organisations; Portsmouth Creative Skills, a 6‑week pre-employability programme designed to equip care experienced and estranged young people with life skills, work experience, and a sense of possibility; and many more initiatives and opportunities which incorporate workplace skills, qualifications, and even paid project opportunities. In 2023 – 26:

  • 242

    young people improved their career prospects through our in-depth work or practice-based support via RISE, Breakthrough, Portsmouth Creative Skills & Apprenticeships

  • 6,233

    qualifications have been issued

  • five youth board members and three artswork staff smile at their youth board away day

Championing Youth Voice

Youth voice is embedded in everything we do as a charity. As well as having a Youth Board (a group of 14 to 25 year olds who use their voices, ideas, and experiences to champion youth voice and drive meaningful change across our charity), we have also developed Young Consultants. Through Young Consultants, we provide further training to Artswork programme alumni, who are then offered paid opportunities to champion youth voice and bring young perspectives into external organisations and businesses.

What young people think

We exist to support young people, to equip them with the skills, confidence, and inspiration to find and use their unique voice. To break into a fulfilling creative career, develop as artists and leaders, or simply to enjoy the benefits of taking part in arts and culture. We love receiving feedback directly from the young people on our programmes:

  • It's good for young people to have a voice – young people know young people, and what they want to see – It helps them be represented.

  • I genuinely feel like it's changed the path of my life going forward, I have no idea where I'd be without it, it’s been the perfect start to a creative career and I really couldn't have asked for anything more. I want this opportunity for more young people in my position, so that everyone has a chance to discover more about themselves and gain confidence like I’ve been able to. It's an invaluable opportunity in the working world right now!

  • The Artswork programme has truly boosted my confidence, allowing me to express myself creatively, embrace my unique perspective and push myself to do things I didn't even think were possible like acquiring a job in sales.

  • It inspired me to carry on and try new things.

  • It was amazing to be able to lead the day, we really showed that if we want change, we have the power to make it happen.

  • This has been a great chance to explore how we can talk about mental health and I've felt listened to when I talk about what helps me.

Violence Reduction Work

During 2023 – 26 we ran Choices, a schools-based violence reduction programme that used a range of creative techniques, and materials developed using the voices of young people with lived experience of violence. Engaging 9,448 school children, Choices examined the risks and impact of knife crime and the dangers of exploitation and other violence. Observation and teacher testimony indicate credible short-term indicators of change in:

  • Increased pupil awareness of peer pressure and belonging dynamics

  • Improved articulation of trusted adults and help-seeking pathways

  • Strengthened empathy and emotional literacy

  • Engagement of pupils who may not respond to traditional classroom methods

Artswork Professional Development

As well as our youth-focused programmes, we also support organisations and individuals through our professional development programme. Using our Think, Learn, Do approach, we offer training in areas such as safeguarding, project management, creative wellbeing and youth leadership. Income from our training is reinvested into our charitable work, amplifying youth voice, growing leadership and creating lasting community impact.

in 2023 – 26:

  • 6,035

    people undertook learning with us

  • 91%

    of respondents reported increased confidence after completing an Artswork Professional Development course

Hear from our learners:

  • Informative and educational...this learning will have a positive influence on my team moving forwards.

  • This course has helped me be more confident in my practice and I look forward to championing the ideas to our department and implementing as much as I can get buy-in for!

  • I found the assumptions we make about people in our day to day lives eye opening.

  • The course was excellent, well-judged for the context, relevant to our sector, and well worth the time investment. 

Resources

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