Top

SWANSEA YOUTH ARTS STRATEGY LAUNCH
‘Side by Side’
3rd December 2007
The Arts Wing, Grand Theatre, Swansea

The Swansea Youth Arts Partnership has brought together a diverse range of arts providers from across Swansea to create an inspirational strategy for young people and the arts. The strategy was built upon the abundant good practice already in place in Swansea and employed young people to gather the research that backs up the strategy.

The strategy was launched at a performance of ‘Side by Side’ with Gorseinon College and Swansea Comprehensive Schools when over 300 young people took to the stage.

Gorseinon College is one of the partners who have been involved in writing the strategy and we are delighted that they allowed us to launch the strategy at this wonderful event showcasing good practice for young people and the arts.

Swansea Council teamed up with thirty arts groups and organisations in the city to form the Swansea Youth Arts Partnership which drew up the strategy following consultation with local young people.

The strategy, has received funding from the Arts Council of Wales, which helps to ensure that young people can enjoy a wide range of arts activities.

The strategy builds on good practice already in the city. Swansea Council's Youth Service team for example, encourages young people to develop talents they may not otherwise have a chance to discover.

Carole Wharrad from Swansea Youth Service explains.

"We already use arts to engage young people. For example, we have held graffiti art, percussion, break-dancing, mixing and rapping workshops, and some of our young people ended up winning a photography competition after we hired a company called Zoom Scape to work with them.

"The break dance sessions were so successful that they have become a weekly event in Gorseinon. We hope that the new Youth Arts Strategy will open up more opportunities like this across the city."

The consultations highlighted five principal issues that young people believed needed further attention and which the Swansea Youth Arts Partnership will work together to address. These included:

• The location of arts provision
• The availability and suitability of venues
• Short-term funding
• Improved training and development
• Further information and marketing

Swansea Council's Cabinet member for Education, Mike Day said,

"We are looking forward to the production of 'Side by Side'. It's a wonderful example of good practice as a fitting occasion to launch and celebrate the Swansea Youth Arts Strategy.

"The Local Authority is committed to a partnership approach to youth arts in the city, and it is with this in mind that the strategy has been developed."

Top