Knowsley Council in partnership with Adlib, Heart of Glass, Make CIC and Shakespeare North Playhouse have been awarded £650,000 from Arts Council England to boost youth engagement and involvement in cultural and creative activity over the next three years.

The ‘This Place This Stage’ programme aims to empower young voices, grow local talent and transform creative futures across Knowsley. The aim being to grow a younger, more diverse and ambitious cultural scene and improve pathways towards careers in the creative industries.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods commented:

“Whilst engagement in culture across the borough has spiked in recent years, data shows that young people, under the age of 25, still only make up a tiny percentage of the people engaging in activities and events.

Clearly there are barriers preventing some young people from getting involved and we want to break those down. We want to give young creatives opportunity and inspiration and help young people see the creative industries as real career options for them too. We also want to put them at the heart of the decision making and work with them to develop the events and opportunities they want to see here.

We will be working with some fantastic partners on this project so I am really excited to see what we can achieve together, and the impact this will have.”

Jen Cleary, Director North West, Arts Council England said

“We believe that arts and culture is crucial to imagination, self-expression and creativity in young people. So, we’re really pleased to support This Place This Stage to increase creative opportunities for young people in Knowsley. Funded through our National Lottery Place Partnership programme, the project brings local partners together to ensure that young people have a voice and opportunities to influence the creative future of the borough.

We hope it provides more opportunities for young people to develop their own creative skills and confidence and play an active role in shaping cultural life in their communities.”

‘This Place This Stage’ will put children and young people at the centre of cultural life in Knowsley and will engage a range of key partners including schools and youth and community organisations. It will also draw on the expertise and resources of Culture Knowsley, Shakespeare North Playhouse, Heart of Glass, Make CIC and Adlib to deliver a diverse programme.

As well as projects in schools, there will also be opportunities for young people to network with other creatives, be mentored and encouraged to actively shape cultural activity in their own communities.

Lisa Allen, Chief Executive of Shakespeare North Playhouse said:

“With This Place This Stage, we’re taking the Shakespeare North magic out into the community-  into youth clubs, schools and community centres across Prescot, Huyton and Kirkby, as well as right here in our building. We are excited to be working in partnership with KMBC and other cultural organisations to create spaces where young people feel inspired and supported to have a voice and shape the future of Knowsley.

Creating cultural opportunities like this across Knowsley really matters, especially in areas where access to the arts hasn’t always been a given. We’ll be working in schools, running theatre projects, and creating opportunities for young people to explore their creativity. And most importantly, they’ll be using culture as a vehicle for change in their own area.

I genuinely believe access to culture is a basic human right. It’s not just about becoming an artist or performer, there are so many ways to experience and be part of culture and have it impact your life. But young people need the confidence and opportunity to explore that, and that’s what this programme is all about.

It’s giving young people a voice, a platform, and a chance to shape the creative future of their own communities. We’re so excited to be part of this alongside amazing partners, this is exactly the kind of work Shakespeare North was built to do.”

Lisa Mitchell, Training and Development Co-ordinator at Adlib commented:

"We're thrilled to be part of 'This Place This Stage' and build on our commitment to supporting young people's career development in the creative industries. It's vital that we demonstrate the breadth of careers available behind the scenes in our field - the creative industries represent a thriving, professional sector with expanding opportunities and genuine long-term career potential.

“We want to help young people in Knowsley see these as real possibilities when making decisions about their future. As a company rooted in the creative industries, we understand the incredible potential that exists, and through this programme, we're excited to provide mentorship and real-world insights that will help the next generation of engineers, technicians, and creative professionals flourish right here in Knowsley."

Knowsley is one of Arts Council England’s Priority Places – 54 areas of England prioritised for support and funding for arts and cultural programmes and activities.

The ‘ This Place This Stage’ project aims to build on Knowsley’s successful cultural development and the legacy of their year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture in 2022.