Delivered by Young Urban Arts Foundation
In 2023, the Foundation for Future London has awarded a grant to Young Urban Arts Foundation for its project “Born to Be Great” to run a Mobile Outreach Intervention with pathways into opportunities t for underrepresented young people, working collaboratively with local organisations in Hackney and Waltham Forest to create lasting changes in young people’s lives through our Large Grant Scheme.
The Large Grant Scheme is art of our Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund, funded by Westfield Stratford City.
Born to Be Great is aimed at reaching young people who face multiple barriers and who struggle to engage with other youth services.
Using our double-decker multi-media bus as a mobile intervention, and in partnership with local organisations, we will reach underrepresented young people in East London. Trained artist facilitators will help them learn and develop their creative skills in music production, singing, song/lyric writing, podcasting and DJing.
Our outreach bus program is proven to support young people to develop a desire to learn through music and hone their skills and talents, increasing their confidence and raising their aspirations.
“I recommend this outreach workshop to any young artist who wants to put themselves out there and get more confident.”
Participants in YUAF’s outreach bus programme will have the opportunity to progress into Pathways, YUAF’s aftercare service. This strengths-based, solution-focused initiative helps low to medium risk young people develop greater resilience and learn the tools they need to self-manage their emotions. This improves their mental wellbeing and confidence to access and participate in new opportunities.
“I went to the GP for mental health support but I found being able to get back into music and the opportunities with YUAF has been the most useful for my mental health.”
One such opportunity is YUAF Futures, a bespoke programme for 16 – 19-year-olds, one of our most successful models. The programme offers enhanced skills training, internships, paid work experience, and progression routes into entry-level work in the creative industries. Young people can explore career options and make informed choices about their future, based on experiential learning.
“Yesterday I found out I got an unconditional offer from my second choice of uni to study music technology, this is mainly due to YUAF Futures giving me the opportunity to create a strong portfolio.”
To get involved, please contact jess@yuaf.org.uk or see yuaf.org/ourbus for more information.
Transforming lives and careers of people in East London
Westfield Stratford City is London’s most popular shopping destination by footfall, located in London’s fastest growing area