National Youth Arts Wales Engagement Overview

Youth Arts Engagement 

National Youth Arts Wales (NYAW) empowers the next generation of musicians, actors, dancers and makers to build a creative, confident and generous future for Wales. 

Working with young people aged 13–22 throughout Wales, our ensembles and projects bridge the gap between grassroots arts and professional opportunities, giving participants the chance to thrive in the creative ecology. 

“Leave no one behind” 

We directly involve around 2,000 young people each year, with a particular focus on those from underrepresented backgrounds, working closely with a wide range of national and regional partner organisations. There is a significant shortfall in arts education and opportunities for young people, particularly in local authorities where arts funding has been reduced or withdrawn. We refer to this as the “Youth Arts Gap” in Wales. 

This shortfall is critical because arts education plays such a pivotal role in cognitive, emotional and social development; social mobility; and community cohesion. It's especially important in Wales, where our cultural identity and language preservation are so closely linked with artistic expression. The arts offer young people a platform for self-expression, friendship and personal growth - which are essential for mental well-being, educational achievement and social inclusion. Without these opportunities, many young people would miss out on vital experiences that shape their futures. 

Following evidence gathered by the Welsh Government and Arts Council Wales, and Baroness Andrew’s seminal report Culture and Poverty, we know that young people from low-income households, those living with disabilities and those from a Global Majority background find it hardest to access pathways into the arts. Therefore, we ensure that all of our ensembles and projects incorporate elements designed to empower those groups to take part. Further details below. 

We measure our progress against national and regional averages.

  • In the past year (2024/25) we provided £81,627 in bursaries for those needing financial support. This was 61% of all our members, over a third of which were full bursaries. More information about our bursaries here. 

  • 11% of participants were from the Global Majority, and 20% were living with a disability.  

Strategic Engagement Projects 

Every year, we run a “roadshow” of creative workshops at schools in areas of Wales with low arts participation.  

For young people who love singing, but have never sung in a group setting, we run Côr Skills workshops and residencies throughout Wales. 

For intermediate strings players that need additional support to reach higher levels, we run Strings Attached programmes throughout Wales. 

For young actors and makers, we run the Professional Pathways programme, to open their eyes to a wide variety of Creative Industry and theatre careers, on and off the stage. 

For aspiring jazz musicians, we lead National Youth Jazz Wales, in partnership with RWCMD and Jazz Explorers Cymru.  

For aspiring folk and traditional musicians, we are about to launch a new programme of workshops throughout Wales, engaging with a wide range of music genres. 

Two areas of Wales impacted by child poverty and low arts investment are Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. We are running the Creative Futures programme in those areas, in partnership with the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and others. 

To ensure we remain connected to young people throughout Wales, our Change Makers regularly discuss and debate our work, as well as the wider availability of the arts to young people in Wales. 

We are committed to undertake regular training in all these areas for our staff, working with external expert organisations. 

Coming Soon….

An ambitious new project entitled the “Creative Passport” to enable young people throughout Wales to access arts participation opportunities in their localities.