Artswork and Unloc collaborate to develop the art of putting young people centre stage

Two top organisations focused on the empowerment of young people in Hampshire have joined forces for an exciting new initiative. Portsmouth-based social enterprise Unloc, and Southampton-based youth arts charity Artswork are working together on a wide range of collaborative projects and programmes, aiming to develop and empower young people in the South through arts and culture.

This partnership will focus on youth voice, providing a platform for young people to share their ideas and suggestions and supporting them to contribute to Artswork’s decision-making at every level.

Together the organisations will develop and nurture an Artswork Youth Board with up to 15 diverse representatives aged 11-25 that will help inform policies on young people’s relationship with arts and culture.

Young people will be involved in the co-creation of Artswork’s policy and practice, shaping their development using experience of the direct needs of young people’

There will also be a strong focus on whole team learning on best practice for putting youth voice at the heart of their day-to-day work, and building the foundations for more widespread use of co-creation in the future.

A bespoke training programme will be developed for all Artswork staff and young people, including Young Trustees, ensuring that youth voice is ingrained and embedded firmly into all that the organisation does.

The partnership will draw on the extensive experience of both organisations to develop the skill sets of the young people they engage with, enhancing their potential, inspiring and motivating them, and boosting their determination to succeed.

Unloc’s Programme Facilitator for Leadership Skills & Student Voice, Jessi Wilson said:

“We’re so excited at Unloc to be working alongside Artswork on this initiative, supporting the development of their Youth Board, and delivering all the empowering programmes we have in store over the coming months. Both organisations have such a strong focus on developing and inspiring young people, and by joining forces in this way we can strengthen and support each other on that mission together. We couldn’t be more delighted to have such a fantastic partner in Artswork.”

Chief Executive of Artswork Louise Govier said:

“Artswork is thrilled to collaborate with Unloc on these programmes. The Unloc team, like us, are focused on enabling young people to explore and fulfil their potential, inspiring and motivating them to use their voice to make positive change. These programmes and our new Youth Board will enable us to tap into the inner thoughts and feelings of the young people we engage with, unlock their creativity, and enable them to shape our policy and practice moving forwards. We’re so excited to see their ideas and put them into action!”

As the initiative moves forward be sure to check back in on our news section and social media channels where we’ll be posting updates as work progresses. Alternatively sign up to receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox.

About Unloc

Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Their mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. To find out more about Unloc please visit www.unloc.org.uk

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Youth Voice