A day in Bristol to explore the offer for Young People . . .

A cold, wet and dark start to the day, but a bright & optimistic end.

Today, as part of my role a Bridport Arts Centre I visited 5 cultural organisations in Bristol. Picking the brains of other learning officers and staff members whose focus is working with Young People to ensure those key young people's ideas are heard within the organisations they are linked to. 

BAC is taking part in a Arts Council England funded opportunity called Agents for Change. The scheme assigns a creative professional to selected Arts Organisations, specifically NPO's across the country. This opportunity, hopefully,  enables them to work with key members of the staff team, to make them re-think the way they operate, in order to achieve their new goals. Our agent is the fantastic Mena Fombo, an inspirational thinker and leader with specific experience of working with and for Young People. 

Working our way around the city, we met Hannah Higginson Engagement producer at Watershed, Clare Karslake from the Learning Department at Arnolfini, Another Claire - Claire Simmons from Bristol Museum, responsible for the development of work with 16-25 yr olds and Ailish from The Young People's programme at Tobacco Factory. As well as this I had an informative but lightening speed tour around Knowle West Media Centre where Mena works on leading the Young People's programme. 

The amount of things I learnt today was extensive and far too long to list here - but I am hugely grateful to all of the above organisations and individuals for making the time to talk to me, share common problems and generate new ideas. 

So that's the easy bit, now to go back to work tomorrow and work out how to create space for all of these fantastic new projects I want to begin at The Arts Venues I represent...watch this space.