Young people encouraged to ‘step into’ cultural experiences

Step into the Arts is especially aimed at young people who might not usually be able to access the arts or cultural experiences, with a total of £65,000 available to young people aged 5-25 from across Scotland.

The fund, which is managed by Youth Scotland and Creative Scotland, has two parts: First steps into the arts, for young people who have some, a little or no experience of the arts and want to explore them further, and Next steps into the arts, which is for young people who have experience in the arts and want to improve their practice or may be considering a creative career.

The fund is completely youth-led and was designed by a team of 14 young grantmakers aged 14–25, who devised the fund name, format and scope.

When applying, the idea must come from the young person or people; they must decide on what to put in the application and carry out the project if they are successful. Young people can apply as an individual or team of two, or in a group of three or more.

Young people who may need extra support to apply and carry out their project if they are successful can seek help from a supporting adult.

Speaking at the launch of the fund, Mike Strang, Chief Executive at Youth Scotland said: “Step into the Arts is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Scotland who are interested in the arts or are facing barriers in accessing them.”

Sarah Mcadam, TTS Programme Manager, Creative Scotland said: “This programme presents an exciting opportunity for children and young people to step into the arts and bring their creative ideas and projects to life. Developed and led by young people, Step into the Arts enables young people to directly influence decision-making in the arts, develop their own interests and creativity and share these with their communities.”

For full details on the criteria, what funding can be used for and how to apply, young people and youth workers can click here to visit the Youth Scotland website:
https://www.youthscotland.org.uk/programmes/step-into-the-arts/