Having spent my formative years living in the residential area of Northfield, Birmingham, I have witnessed first hand the changing face of industry and the way in which this has altered social class categorisations within the U.K. Equally, I have been exposed to the difficulties of pursuing a career within the creative industry. As an emerging visual artist my own opportunities are limited, and I am increasingly aware of the lack of exposure to the arts within the lives of children and young people.
TMC’s Change Maker Programme was an unprecedented opportunity for me, as it allowed me, within the context of a wider team, to begin to ameliorate some of these issues surrounding children and young people in a creative and educational context. The ‘Change Makers’ consist of myself and four other 18 – 25 year olds, aiming to produce a conference that alludes to these challenges, and celebrates creativity that facilitates children and young people to thrive.
Graduating from a Fine Art degree in 2018, this programme has been a steep learning curve for me. Programming and producing, as a job role, had fascinated me for a while, as it is such an ambiguous and mystified role for those outside of it. Therefore I opted to dive headfirst into this role, and it has been demanding yet it seems to be the ideal role for me as it allows me to deploy my creative capabilities, and has given me room for manoeuvre within the role.
Up until last week the tasks seemed innumerable, with new aspects and perspectives to be considered continually. However, finally, I feel as if I’m finding my feet somewhat within the programming role. After weeks of deliberation I’m excited about the speakers, breakout sessions and workshops we have commissioned, in addition to the fantastic organisations and individuals we have been in dialogue with.
Politically and economically, the United Kingdom is on the precipice and the cultural and educational sectors are in precarious positions. ‘Creating the Future’ seeks to give progressive and innovative organisations the platform to exemplify best practice and methodologies, especially within these increasingly challenging times.
This is where the importance stems from, as times are changing so are creative organisations and individuals, both the relevant sectors should acknowledge this and work with such organisations to strive for a more reflective and reactive creative sector.
Creating the Future, June 28th, Curve Theatre, Leicester. Get your tickets now.
