BAC is thrilled to announce this year’s Agents, who are breaking down barriers faced by their underserved communities by providing access to careers in STEM, politics and theatre.
The Agency is expanding across the UK, and we’re looking for likeminded organisations, who might be interested supporting change makers in their own communities. If you are interested in finding out more please do get in touch via hello@wearetheagency.co.uk
Agents are local young people who have been through our flagship creative entrepreneurship programme, The Agency.
The Agency combines the best elements of the cultural and business sectors, and supports Agents’ natural capacity for creativity, insight, and innovation to identify what their community needs and develop their own social change projects. BAC is The Agency’s joint lead partner, along with Contact in Manchester and People’s Palace Projects. Current partners also include Energise Me in Southampton.
After the first 12 weeks of The Agency programme, local young changemakers pitched their creative ideas to a panel of experts. These Agents were chosen to receive £2000 of funding and continued support to bring to life their idea to life.
We asked this year’s Agents to tell us more about their projects:
Project CUBE IT by Mikhi (18) aims to increase confidence & resilience by getting young people into their local creative spaces. He said:
“Theatre has helped me to step out of my comfort zone and go after loads of professional opportunities. I’m excited to invite more young people to explore creative options and discover their abilities.”
The Civics Convention by Aliya (16) educates young people from ethnic majority backgrounds and their local community on their voting rights. She said:
“My time with The Agency gave me my first awakening of the opportunities available to me at this age and I took it. I’m looking forward to what this can help me achieve.”
Wisdom Woman by Nabeelah (16) aims to inspire girls aged 13-18 from low-income households to go into professional careers in STEM. She said:
“I feel excited about my project, it will benefit a lot of young girls. This is something I needed at their age so I am proud to be able to create this project for them.”
One of the expert panellists this year was Alumni Agent Henrietta. She started with The Agency in 2016 and is now a Campaigner for Care Leavers and social care reform. She also sits on the Boards of two organisations, including BAC!
Henrietta said:
“Being on the panel for The Agency this year was a huge privilege, to hear from such trailblazers who will be impacting their community and the next generation. Listening to all the presentations was super inspiring and reminded me that when young people have agency and power the world can change for the better.”
Our Director of Creativity and Social Change, Liz Moreton, agrees and added:
“The Agency creates opportunities that our young people have been denied elsewhere. Our priority is to support them to build back and enrich the local area, with Agents’ bold ideas and their creative solutions at the forefront.
We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation for supporting The Agency, with thanks to Rafe Offer for his contribution to Battersea’s Agents this year.”