For ten years, The Agency has supported young people to create social change projects for their communities. Andrew Westle shares its journey over the decade.
Ovo gallery
As a creative entrepreneurship programme, The Agency enables young people aged 15-25 from underserved areas across the UK to respond to the needs of their communities. They are seen as the solution, supported to have agency and recognise their power to make change in their lives.
We use a theatre-based methodology to support them to become beacons of positive transformation. The Agency's story is one of innovation, collaboration, and the unwavering belief in the potential of young people.
In a world that can feel quite dark, with mounting pressures from fuel poverty, climate change and geographic and political instability, our agents are enabled to harness creativity as the tool for fresh thinking and positive change. The Agency has demonstrated repeatedly that no problem can be too big for a creative rethink.
A journey that began in Rio
The Agency began in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where Brazilian theatre maker Marcus Faustini envisioned a programme harnessing creativity to address pressing social issues there. From this vision Agência de Redes para Juventude was founded - a concept that would transcend borders and cultures to become The Agency in the UK.
It found its way here through a groundbreaking partnership between Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), Contact Theatre, and People Palace Projects. This partnership was not just about replicating a successful model, it was about understanding that young people, regardless of their backgrounds, have the power to drive change when provided with the right tools and support.
What is The Agency?
At its core, it is a programme that uses creativity to unlock innovation. It recognises young people are not the problem, rather they’re the experts in their areas and best placed to propose new solutions. They identify the needs of their communities, and we equip them with the knowledge and skills to respond with meaningful impact.
A key element of the programme is networks – the Redes in the original Brazilian name - with each idea strengthened by having a strong network to help it grow and flourish. We utilise our organisations’ connections to leverage opportunities and connect with gatekeepers, movers and shakers.
Agents learn the importance of their own network and how to nurture and nourish it. We think of this as an alternative to an old boy's network, in which nepotism and privilege replicates the very structures we seek to dismantle.
The Agency is driven by artists who encourage young people to see their communities in a new light - just as an artist approaches a problem or a blank canvas with a sense of potential and expectation, a chance to create something new.
The philosophy is simple but profound: young people have the capacity to be change-makers in their own lives, communities, and cities. They are not passive recipients of assistance, they are active drivers of progress.
How does it work?
The Agency’s unique methodology is inspired by theatre practice and interpreted and delivered by local artist facilitators. It recognises people’s inherent creativity and channel it into projects addressing social challenges. Often, we work with people who would never identify as creative nor have participated in arts any more than at a rudimentary level at school.
The adaptability of our approach is one of its defining features. It can transfer to any location because, at its core, is an understanding that creativity is central to all social or business innovation. Whether in Rio’s favelas or North Manchester, the principles remain constant: trust in the potential of young people and believe in their capacity to create change.
Young agents at Contact Theatre, Manchester for The Agency's national gathering. Photo: Ovo Gallery
Transformative impact
The real measure of our success lies in the stories of the individuals (agents) who have taken part in the programme and created lasting change in their communities.
Osmond, now 24, founded ‘Life Is What U Make It’. His interactive board game promotes dialogue on challenges young people face in areas where gangs operate. The project is 10 years in the making and continues to develop and be played in communities across London. Osmond’s has been recognised by the National Lottery as Young Hero of the Year.
Eliah is a 15-year-old with a vision. Her project 'Flavour Bank’ provided meal cards, listing ingredients with herbs and spices, tailored to food bank users - at a time when their usage has surged.
Henrietta set up a theatre company for care leavers called ‘Redefine’, based on her experience of the care system. Through the programme, she become a national advocate for the rights of young people in care and care leavers. She is now a trustee of BAC: “The Agency made me think creatively about my whole life. The process started with me and my desire and was shaped around what I wanted to do. It’s made me who I am today.”
These are just a few of the countless stories of success and transformation. There are many others including alumni who have gone on to attract hundreds of thousands of pounds funding or became CEOs before they turned 25.
Legacy
In a sector increasingly focused on co-creation, The Agency isn’t a box-ticking exercise. The programme invests heavily in communities, with organisations building genuine reciprocal relationships. Agents often move on to paid roles or become trustees, keeping organisations accountable. We have five alumni working on staff. They are not leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders today.
Looking to the future, we aim for The Agency to become an organisation in its own right, led by people who have emerged through the programme. This would allow us to partner with more organisations across the UK and to continue and expand this transformative work.
Our journey from the favelas to the streets of the UK is a story of hope, empowerment and transformation, and tells us that creativity is powerful. When we see creativity as central to a healthy society, this creative energy can exist outside theatres and galleries and can help create a much brighter future.
Dr Andrew Westle is the National Programme Manager at The Agency.
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