Theatre rails against ‘clickbait’ general election policies

A Lincoln-based theatre company has criticised party leaders for issuing “clickbait” policies that “vilify young people” instead of acknowledging the funding challenges facing organisations offering support and services for children.

Toby Ealden, Artistic Director at Zest Theatre, said: “After 13 years of cuts to children’s and youth services, young people are crying out for support and safe places to exist. They are desperate for opportunities to be supported, lead, and be seen and heard.”

Referencing Rishi Sunak's pledge, should he win the general election on 4 July, to enforce military or civilian service for all 18-year-olds, Ealdon added: “Young people don’t need clickbait policies and calls for a national service. They need tangible change, a voice to shape their future, and more spaces where they can exist.

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“As the nation gears up for the general election, our prospective leaders need to be mindful of the effect a decade of cuts to public services have had on young people’s well-being and their future opportunities.”

Research published by government in February showed that from 2011 to 2021, funding of youth provision in England declined in real terms from £1.06bn to £409m, with the number of youth clubs operating in local authorities nearly halving between 2011/12 and 2018/19.

During a simillar period—2009/10 to 2019/20—investment in the arts through local authorities in England has also fallen by more than 30% in real terms in response to an overall decline in local government budgets, according to Creative Policies and Evidence Centre data.

Arts leaders have previously warned that the increasing number of councils cutting grants to arts organisations risk compounding the strain on their statutory services as the cultural sector is also often a key provider of community programmes, including those for children, older people, people with dementia or care leavers.

'Thrive, not just survive'

Established in 2007, Zest joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio in the 2023-26 funding round. The touring company produces work for and with young people in theatres, festivals, public spaces, and on digital platforms.

Aiming to address the “chronic lack of space” for young people in Lincoln, Zest has launched a new project in partnership with sustainable outdoor architecture firm AirClad, offering a free-to-attend pop-up youth club for 11- to 18-year-olds.

Called The Zone, the portable youth club is housed in a specially made trailer designed to be easily relocated and set up in communities across the city, allowing young people the opportunity to "socialise, connect and relax".

Zest says the trailer will provide young people with indoor and outdoor space to participate in a summer activity programme, including workshops with professional artists, silent discos, performances, and reading.

The organisation hopes that the space's low cost and flexibility will allow it to be easily rolled out in areas that might otherwise be "overlooked."

Ealden said: “Should the project prove successful, it would be great to see the idea adopted in other locations across the country so that more young people are given a space to call their own. Public services should exist to enable everybody across the community to thrive, not just survive.

"The key thing that has come across is that young people want somewhere to create, chill and just be themselves. We’re giving young people the chance to say exactly what they do want right now at a time when their futures are being decided by politicians.”