Creative Citizens is UKNA’s Talent Development programme; an ongoing series of workshops, events, projects and presentations for, with and by young people (predominantly 14-19yrs). This strand of work began in early 2018 and since then we have worked with over 750 young participants from across the UK on projects connecting them to over 50 artists and exploring every major artform area. 

Creative Citizens is built on three pillars - information, inspiration and exploration - which are essential for young people to thrive and develop into confident, interesting and interested artists, collaborators and innovators. The programme takes a multidisciplinary approach, offering a unique opportunity for young people to connect with artists of all disciplines, to begin to develop both a broader and deeper understanding of their own practice and that of others, and how, collectively, that fits together. 

One of UKNA’s core aims is to connect audiences with the work of new artists, particularly those who may not have the means or awareness to connect with them otherwise. Creative Citizens seeks specifically to connect young audiences with these artists, and most hopefully those young people who seek to follow similar paths. As our work grows we will continue to prioritise opportunities that improve accessibility and enable those with historically limited access to experience and connect with high quality artists, arts experiences and resources. 

It was so good to be in touch with other students that I had never met before too as we were all so different in our areas of passion and skill.  I feel grateful and lucky to have had this opportunity during lockdown as it has given me such a positive window into the arts world and working in this industry.
— Virtual Work Experience Participant
Thank you very much [UKNA] for this amazing week, it was truly a way to discover more horizons and finding myself, along with working with amazing people and learning a lot from you and them.
— Virtual Work Experience Participant