YOUTH
PROJECTS
Cosmopolitan Arts has delivered citywide youth arts projects since 2011, which have been funded to be free and accessible to all.
From 2015 we have worked from the African Caribbean Centre with young people from Highfields (the most culturally diverse area of the city) as well as young people from across the city drawn from the black community.
We deliver free drop-in workshop sessions during the school holidays focusing on using the arts and physical activity to celebrate cultural diversity, raise aspirations and enhance wellbeing and life chances. This has been funded by Children in Need and Leicester City Council. We have taken them on trips to the seaside, the Science Museum, Think Tank, National Space Centre plus much more.
We have worked with them to publish a book and they create performances and artwork for all of our major festivals and events. We employ professional artists and positive role models to work with the participants, who are engaging and inspirational.
Since 2017 we have also delivered free weekly music lessons focusing on guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, keyboard and singing. We employ professional high quality musicians who tour nationally and internationally, and have many years experience of music tuition.
We open up opportunities through our festivals and events for all the young people we support, to gain direct experience of working within the cultural sector – experiencing event and stage management, supporting our marketing activities, looking after professional artists & audiences, making sure that at the centre of all our youth arts work are embedded tangible learning and skills development opportunities that enhance their life chances and aspiration. Where possible, we offer accredited learning as well as signposting young people to opportunities at schools, colleges, & other youth provision across the city.
Our work has been funded and supported over the years by Youth Music, NYJO, Leicestershire Music Hub, Leicester Jazzhouse, EM Jazz, Mighty Creatives and Ronnie Scotts. The young people have performed at our major festivals, other events in the city and created music videos.
We are committed to delivering high quality arts provision to young people facing barriers to learning, that is evocative, engaging, inspirational and develops transferable skills and knowledge for a brighter future.
