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Supporting the next generation of creativity

Our Director, Audience Insight and Innovation, Owen Hopkin, tells us about the launch of New Creatives in partnership with the BBC, and why supporting young artists benefits all of us.
17 September 2019

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The top of a woman's head and eyes emerging from the water

Last night at the Institute of Contemporary Arts I had the pleasure of attending the launch of New Creatives, our artist development programme in partnership with the BBC.  Over the next two years, we’ll be working with five partner centres across the country – Tyneside CinemaRural MediaCalling the Shots, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Screen South – to commission 500 artists to make short films, audio and interactive works to be shown on BBC platforms, before being shared further by the artists themselves.

New Creatives Afshan D’souza-Lodhi, Thomas Longstaff, Comfort Adeneye, presenter Dr Janina Ramirez, Will Prince Taylor, and Rehmat Rayatt
Photo by New Creatives Afshan D’souza-Lodhi, Thomas Longstaff, Comfort Adeneye, presenter Dr Janina Ramirez, Will Prince Taylor, and Rehmat Rayatt © Mark Allan
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New Creatives Afshan D’souza-Lodhi, Thomas Longstaff, Comfort Adeneye, Will Prince Taylor and Rehmat Rayatt, with presenter Dr Janina Ramirez third from right © Mark Allan

The commissions from New Creatives will showcase the wealth of young creative talent currently emerging from communities across England.  They represent the artists who we hope will go on to be some of the biggest names in culture over the coming decades, and we look forward to seeing their work thrive on BBC platforms and beyond.

The idea of New Creatives is not just to produce these works however, as brilliant as they will be.  We want to help nurture the talented young artistic voices behind them, bringing them to the attention of the sector and the public, and giving them the skills and experience they need to pursue even bigger things as their careers progress.  New Creatives will be an integral part of our commitment to support young talent, providing a new generation of artists with opportunities to develop their creativity, their technical skills and their ability to reach new audiences.

This focus on reaching new audiences is something we want to emphasise, because it empowers artists and gives them control over their work and their careers.  It also helps to make sure that art and culture is available to everyone, and isn’t siloed away in certain institutions or particular areas of the country. 

Reaching the right audiences online has the potential to grow an artist’s career exponentially, connecting them with people who might otherwise not have had the chance to see their work.  By helping young artists learn how to distribute their work, we empower them, and we bring new experiences to audiences.

Top Wavers
Top Wavers © Comfort Adeneye

Of course, as well as helping artists to reach diverse audiences, we also have to ensure that background is no barrier to becoming an artist in the first place.  As we have often said, talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.  If certain communities don’t have the chance to be creative not only is it a personal loss for them, but a loss for us all, as we miss out on the contribution they would have made to our shared cultural life, our society, and our economy.

That’s why schemes such as New Creatives, which reach out across the country, beyond London and beyond the usual communities that engage strongly with traditional forms of artistic expression, are essential. 

When artists are properly supported, we all benefit.  Art brings families, friends and communities together through shared experiences.  It articulates the issues and debates gripping the national psyche, and helps people to understand their place in the world.  In economic terms, it is often artists who started in publicly funded cultural organisations that are producing the films, TV shows, music and video games fuelling the unprecedented growth of our commercial creative industries.

For all those reasons, it is so important that we continue to invest in art and culture, and in making sure that young people from all backgrounds have the chance to nurture their creativity and develop their artistic practices.

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