- Our Vision: All children, young and disabled people are empowered to access lifechanging arts experiences
- Our Mission: To change young and disabled peoples’ lives through great art
- Our Purpose: To deliver innovative and high-quality arts experiences
Inspire Youth Arts (IYA) is a highly innovative multi-award-winning team with over 25 years of experience in the sector. We have developed our own unique and award-winning approach to delivering the arts, with children, young and disabled people at the heart of everything we do.
The team is based at the Old Library in Mansfield, a unique creative hub for children, young and disabled people, which houses a 100-seat studio theatre, professional recording studio, an exhibition area, café-bar, media suite and meeting, teaching, workshop, and rehearsal spaces.
In 2018 Inspire was awarded National Portfolio Organisation status from Arts Council England giving Inspire Youth Arts funding to deliver a range of activities accessible to young people with disabilities and to help develop and innovate digital arts.
IYA are leaders in music, dance and digital arts. We are Imagineers! We believe that everyone has the right to access high quality arts experiences. We use authentic, innovative & accessible arts projects to take children, young and disabled people as far as they want to go in creativity. Our vision is that all children, young and disabled people are empowered to access life-changing arts experiences.
Music:
- We are a key delivery partner for Notts Music Education Hub developing & delivering a range of innovative & ambitious music projects, programmes & events.
- We also offer advice, and guidance on the music industry, placements, & performance opportunities through our partnership with NUSIC & BBC Introducing.
- Our Music Patron Paul Hartnoll
Dance:
- We are the leading community youth dance development & delivery team in Notts.
- We work with partners, professional dancers & choreographers to develop dance companies, inclusive provision & practice, progression & performance platforms across the county.
- Our Dance Patron Tom Dale
Digital:
- We work with leading International digital artists specialising in live projection & emerging technologies, to produce highly innovative work which is showcased internationally.
- Our Digital Patron Martha Fiennes
Disability:
- We are the leading arts development and delivery team for youth arts and disability within Notts.
- With our partners and professional artists, we initiate & develop various projects of national significance.
- Our Disability Patron Francesca Martinez
WHAT WE DO
Our 4 Pillars of Work:
- UNLOCKING CREATIVITY: Empowerment • Authentic Experiences • Ownership • Co-production • High Artistic Ambition • Pathways & Progression • Do-Evaluate-Learn-Repeat
- EQUALITY DIVERSITY INCLUSION: Focus on Disability • Accessibility • Independence • Opportunity • Integration •Audience Development
- WELLBEING: Self-esteem • Confidence • Belonging • Reducing Isolation •Friendships • Post-Covid Response • PERMA Framework
- SECTOR DEVELOPMENT: Advocacy • Technology & Innovation • Artist/Practitioner Mentoring • Youth Development Programme • Sharing of Best Practice • Social Entrepreneurship & Incubation
HOW WE WORK
Our Core Principles for Working with Children, Young and Disabled People are:
- Striving for excellence
- Being authentic (providing ‘real’ experiences)
- Being exciting, inspiring and engaging
- Ensuring a positive, person-centred experience
- Actively involving children, young and disabled people
- Providing a sense of personal progression
- Developing a sense of ownership and belonging
Our arts delivery is based on the PERMA Model of Wellbeing which represents the five core building blocks of happiness and well-being which result in people experiencing positive wellbeing and developing greater resilience to life’s challenges:
- Positive emotions – feeling good
- Engagement – being immersed in activities
- Relationships – being authentically connected to others
- Meaning – purposeful existence
- Achievement – a sense of accomplishment and success
