Creative YOUCreativity is everywhere. Opportunity is not. We are part of the solution. The secret is in our name. Every year Creative Youth Network gives thousands of young people a taste and thirst for the arts and culture and the joy, life-skills and opportunity they bring. But we want more. Creative YOU is our campaign showcasing how we, you and the engaged, emerging and amazing young creatives we support, come together. We want to reveal how, together, we are ambition, quality, cultural democracy and social mobility in action. Every young person deserves the right to access creativity and development opportunities in the creative and cultural industries. It all starts with education. If all young people have access to creative subjects in school, then talented young people from all backgrounds can pursue their passion, develop crucial skills needed in so many industries and improve their wellbeing. 1. Pledge Add your name and join the many people passionate about bringing creativity back into our schools. With all the pledges we’ll be reaching out to headteachers in Bristol and the South West. We hope this will encourage local academies to give more space to creativity in their curriculum. Bristol, being the creative city we know and love, can pave the way for other regions to do the same, showcasing the true value of creativity. PLEDGE 2. Sign up Join us by signing up to our newsletter where we share best practice of how to support young people. sign up 3. Find out more Join us by reading and sharing our CreativeYOU report which shows how our work brings opportunities for creative expression and enables young people to explore their talent, regardless of background or circumstance. Download our Creative YOU report About us Blog My Volunteering Experience Introduction My name is Isla and for a week I've been on work experience with the Creative Youth Network. I have been working in the marketing department, but as well as admin and editing, I have also been taking pictures of things happening at The Station. What have I been doing? Over the week I've been doing a lot of different things. I have photographed a conference at The Station, attended sessions run by Creative Youth Network, like Welcome Wednesdays and a film course, and have worked on the website. I've enjoyed doing these as what I wanted to get out of this week was new skills and to have tried new things. My photography skills have been tested by being asked to take pictures of things/people I wouldn't usually photograph, but this week has made me feel more confident about how to take them. What have I learnt? I have learned a lot about using computers and websites, like how to update pages and add pictures, and I have also benefited a lot from having to take pictures of new things. Also I feel like my social skills have improved by meeting lots of new people that I wouldn't have usually met otherwise. How was my experience with Creative Youth Network? My experience with the people at The Station has been amazing. I would recommend to anyone looking for work experience to come here if they want to do something different and to learn lots of new skills. Also the people who work here are really welcoming and kind. Also I feel like I'm giving something back after the Photography Creative Course has taught me so much over the past few years, and has also given me so many amazing opportunities, like me and my friends' pictures being exhibited in the RWA, and being sold in a pop up shop. Conclusions Throughout this week I've seen how much Creative Youth Network and other organisations at The Station do for young people like me and how much hard work goes into what they do. These courses and sessions give people something to look forward to, and are a safe place to go. Creative Youth Network has made me friends for life and has helped me decide what I want to do in the future, and has helped me develop the skills I need to do it. I hope they carry on doing what they're doing & help, inspire and support generations to come. By Isla C Manage Cookie Preferences How can we help?