Young people deserve power, not just a platform

Across the UK, arts organisations are rightly asking how they can better engage young people. But too often, the answer is to invite them in after decisions have already been made or as an add on – to ‘consult’, ‘respond’, or ‘participate’.

At Contact, we flipped that logic a long time ago. We start with young people. Then we build around them. For years, Contact has pioneered youth-led practice in the arts. Based in Manchester, we are proud to be one of the few organisations in the UK where young people aren’t just audiences or artists, they help run the organisation itself.

From sitting on our board of trustees to leading staff interviews and shaping capital projects, young people are central to our governance and strategy, not just our programming.

This approach isn’t a strategic shift for the sake of funding. It’s part of our very DNA. And in a sector under pressure to change, we believe our model offers a real, practical blueprint for others to learn from.

Young trustees shape our future

Contact’s board includes young people aged 18 – 30. This isn’t tokenism. These trustees have full voting rights and play a meaningful role in shaping the organisation’s direction. Their presence ensures our decisions reflect the values and concerns of the communities we serve, and that we remain connected to the realities young creatives are navigating today.

The benefits are mutual. While our organisation gains fresh insight and challenge, young trustees gain rare early-career experience of governance, leadership and strategic thinking. They contribute to, and learn from, conversations many people don’t have access to until they are much further along in their careers, if ever.

This experience can be transformative, both professionally and personally. These young trustees go on to amazing careers in the sector and beyond.

Power sharing in recruitment

One of the clearest demonstrations of our commitment to youth leadership is how we recruit staff. Every candidate applying for a job at Contact, including me, meets a young people’s interview panel. These panels are not symbolic. They’re made up of young people who develop their own questions, lead their own discussions and contribute independent feedback.

Their views carry 50% in hiring decisions and if they don’t want to hire someone, we don’t. Often, their questions cut straight to the heart of what kind of person an applicant is, and whether they’ll thrive in a youth-centred organisation.

For candidates, it’s an immediate introduction to our values. For young people, it’s hands-on experience of leadership and decision making in action.

Young people helped design our award-winning building

When we redeveloped Contact’s building, it was an obvious choice to put young people at centre of the process, in bricks and mortar. The result: one of the most environmentally sustainable public buildings in the North West, shaped by the people who use it.

Our Con:Struct group, made up of young people aged 15 – 25, was involved from the earliest stages of the redevelopment. They sat on interview panels for contractors and catering providers. They reviewed tender documents. They worked with the architects during interior design consultations and presented their ideas at board meetings and public events.

When there wasn’t a clear way forward, the young people would decide. We knew and trusted they would make the right decision for their building.

Importantly, this wasn’t a homogeneous group. Like all our young people, they’re intersectional and represent an array of communities, including global majority, queer, disabled and working class Their voices didn’t just inform our plans  – they defined them.

So, what can others do?

Introducing this kind of work can feel daunting. In a sector often understaffed and underfunded, it’s easy to assume that involving young people more deeply will create extra work rather than lighten the load.

In our experience, while there is an initial investment of time and energy, the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. The insights, creativity and challenge that young people bring have consistently made our organisation stronger, more relevant and more resilient through some very challenging times. It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing things differently, and better.

Youth governance doesn’t require a complete organisational overhaul. But it does require intention and a willingness to let go of power and to give it to young people who will shape the future of our sector.

Here are a few things to consider if you’re looking to involve young people more meaningfully:

• Involve early, not late. Don’t wait to bring in young people once decisions have been made. Involve them from the beginning – in strategy, recruitment and structural decisions.

• Offer real responsibility. Advisory roles are not enough. Give young people voting rights, budgets, leadership opportunities and the support to thrive in those roles.

• Make space for learning and mentorship. It’s not just about giving young people power but helping them build confidence using it. Create opportunities for them to learn from board members, staff and peers.

• Trust their judgement. Young people don’t need to be ‘ready’ in the way we often assume. Their perspectives are already valuable. Trust them with real decisions.

We’re still learning. But what we’ve seen, time and time again, is that when young people are empowered to lead, the work becomes more relevant, more radical and more rooted in the world we’re trying to change.

It’s time to move beyond simple engagement, and into shared leadership. Young people are ready, and those young people will define the future of our sector so enable them to do it now.