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 Young People Celebrate the ‘Resilient’ Women in Their Lives On International Women's Day we collectively celebrate the achievements of women from different backgrounds and also raise awareness about the challenges and discrimination women face on a daily basis. To celebrate inspiring women, we asked our young people to express their gratitude for the significant female figures in their lives. This is what they shared... We asked young people to think about a particular woman that inspires them and what their role is in their lives. 60% of the young people said the inspirational woman in their life is their mother. 20% said a partner. another 20% said public figures When asked to use three words to describe the inspirational woman they selected, resilient and caring came out on top. Here are some of the descriptions used... Messages of Gratitude We also invited them to write a thank you note to the inspirational woman they chose. These are some of the responses: I would like to thank them for their strength as a role model professionally, emotionally, and mentally. -YP, 22 Thank you for being my rock, for being there for me when I find life hard. For offering up your wisdom. For managing my emotions and stresses alongside your own. -YP, 21 Thank you for raising me to be the person I am today and for always supporting me and my decisions no matter what. -YP, 21 I am thankful to be able to view your content it provides me with the will to pursue this area in the future. -YP, 25 Thank you for everything. -YP, 22 I love you so much. -YP, 16 Finally, we asked them if there is anything else they would like to say about their inspirational woman: She's just an incredibly strong individual who has experienced an awful lot of hard times but still manages to be positive and enjoy life, support me and others when needed She is a single mother of five kids and she's literally a super human for that. I want to be someone as powerful and successful as them. International Women's Day is only one day, but we should make it known to the important women in our lives that they are appreciated, and acknowledge all the work they do. Here at CYN, we are proud to support all the women in our organisation. We’re also signed up to the Menopause Workplace Pledge to ensure women feel supported at all stages of their life and career. Did you know? Over 70% of our senior managers are women and our Courts project is female led. We're celebrating the women behind The Courts, including members of the construction team and architects, over in this feature. Read more: the women behind The Courts Manage Cookie Preferences How can we help?