First steps

During the recent arts funding debate, one of our sector’s strongest arguments framed the arts as an ecosystem, an interdependent network of artists, venues and organisations that learn and share with each other to create something larger than the sum of its parts. If we were to extend the metaphor then young people would be the raw materials of that ecosystem, the supporting substrata that, when developed, become the next generation of audiences, creatives and managers. But how well is this development being served?

At Contact we place young people at the heart of everything we do; they sit on our board, they advise on policy and they form special young people panels who interview every full-time member of staff. When we talked to them about training, their feedback told us that it was valuable but disconnected, providing important skills, but often leaving them unsure how to build on these experiences when the training was over. In response we structured our training provision for young people into separate levels that feed into each other, ultimately allowing us to help all young people whether they are completely new to the arts or budding creative leaders.

Our first level of engagement is our workshops, commitment-light drop-in sessions that teach a range of skills. These include Monday Drop, an informal drama workshop; Technique, a session that looks at backstage skills including sound, lighting, stage management and costumes; and Media Drop, a workshop based in our state-of-the-art media lounge for young people interested in digital media including music, film-making and blogging. These workshops allow young people to engage us on their terms, test the water and discover their own skills and talents.

The next step is our in-house drama troupe, Contact’s Young Actors Company (CYAC). A year-long commitment, CYAC gives young people the chance to work alongside professional directors and companies to create three productions a year. In the past these have included Forced Entertainment, Victoria and Coney. Allowing participants to experience a range of styles and approaches to drama, CYAC also gives them the chance to associate with a wide range of young people from a variety of backgrounds.

From there on, the offer we provide diversifies and specialises as young people’s interests and goals become more focused. The Future Fires project supports young emerging artists to plan and deliver their own community arts projects across Greater Manchester. Here the onus rests with the participants, who have the autonomy to plan, market and deliver their work, with Contact supporting, guiding and advising. For those interested in programming and producing we have Re:Con, our year-long scheme enables participants to feed into the artistic programme and design their own project. Working alongside them we have I:Con, our young marketing team, who over a period of eight months learn the intricacies of arts marketing and work alongside Re:Con to market their end-of-project event. And finally, for young people ready to embark on their own and create their own companies, we have the Incubator Company scheme, which supports them as they take steps towards creating their first professional production.

Alongside our training it is also important for us to offer paid employment, as money is still one of the biggest barriers for young people seeking careers in the arts. Our main offer is on our front-of-house team as a host. The role provides experience in customer service, team-building and marketing. More than just ushers, our hosts help sell our shows and capture audience feedback. We also offer routes of progression through to our box office team.

For emerging artists we have also recently launched our Creative Expert scheme. A team of young facilitators, they provide creative bespoke business solutions to organisations, helping them work more effectively with young people, develop young leaders and engage hard-to-reach communities. Past clients have included Virgin Trains, Greater Manchester Police, Arts Council England and The British Council.

Young people are facing the worst economic outlook for a generation with one-fifth of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work and youth unemployment surging past 1 million for the first time. At the same time, arts sector cuts have led to a reduction in entry level positions for those looking for their first job in the arts. For both young people’s futures and our own it’s critical we get the training correct. Thankfully work experience across the arts is a long way from the cliché of thankless photocopying and brewing countless cups of tea. Unfortunately for young people, the problem of no work without experience, and no experience without work, remains all too true. Your training provision needs to be developed in consultation with young people and shaped to their goals, with clearly signposted outcomes. Most importantly you shouldn’t view training as a one-way process, but a two-way channel of exchange. The new ideas, attitudes and energy young people can bring to your organisation can be extraordinary, allowing you to learn as much from them as they can from you.