Civic change, arts and culture

Our services develop the creative skills and confidence of young people as individuals and artists.

When we say artist we mean anyone making art of any kind! We offer a range of activities for young people from drama, dance and storytelling, to photography, gaming, history and heritage, and filmmaking. As well as being fun, these activities enhance the communication skills and self-confidence of young people.

We provide workshops, masterclasses and commissions to develop the skills of young creatives in the Black Country and the wider West Midlands. From drop-in first experiences to long form development programmes, we offer arts and cultural experiences led by skilled makers, producers, performers and word-smiths. For those who want to showcase their talent and present themselves to an audience, we provide opportunities to participate in performances and open mic events.

The benefits of our programmes

Young people who take part in our Civic Change, Arts and Culture programmes might be looking for something new to try, to gain a new skill or to approach a career in the creative industries. We run activities that allow our participants to engage with the arts at every level from first-try to early career. To see what some of our previous projects supporting emerging artists included, take a look at our projects M.A.D.E and Homegrown31.

Through arts and culture we aim to not only develop young people’s artistic voices, but enable them to better understand their personal identities, as well as understanding the social impact art can have.

Engaging young people and promoting dialogue

Across all our services, we ensure young people are at the heart of our planning, delivery and impact. Our team remains actively grounded within our communities, constantly engaging with young people who are the eyes, ears and voices of their own spaces.

We also understand that just listening isn’t enough. We champion young voices, promoting and engaging our participants in dialogue with local changemakers. We are nurturing our future leaders and work actively to make sure they are influencing Powered by CAN’s planning, programmes and activities.

For more about the way we engage young people as changemakers, keep an eye out for our Next Gen projects!