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No time to waste: A call for joint action to invest in young people

1 min read Guest Blog
Young people in the UK are facing a crisis. From the continued increase in the cost of living to mental health problems, more young people are disengaged from school and are struggling to get on the first rung of the ladder for work.
Marcus Davey is chief executive and artistic director at Roundhouse. Picture: Roundhouse
Marcus Davey is chief executive and artistic director at Roundhouse. Picture: Roundhouse

An analysis of the March budget shows it won’t deliver the radical change that is needed to rebalance the economy. We need a skills revolution to unleash the agency and talents of young people, for the economy to thrive now and in the future.

Here at the Roundhouse, we sit in a unique position between our live venue and extensive youth programme.

Across the board, the 8,000 young people aged 11 to 30 that we work with tell us that they want hope and more opportunities for the future. Yet in recent years we have witnessed devastating cuts to youth services, a narrowing of the education curriculum and lost opportunities in the creative industries, as well as other parts of the economy, with stubbornly high rates of youth unemployment.

We need to see urgent action from the government to ensure we don’t leave a generation of young people behind. This requires a mission-led, joined-up approach by the government which harnesses the collective impact of industry and communities and sectors working with young people. The arts and creative industries have a vital part to play, led by young people in the economic, social and cultural development of our communities. We must act now with a bold new plan to:

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