About us
Arts Emergency is an award-winning mentoring charity and support network, working to get young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into careers in the arts and humanities. We have bases in London, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and work with young people across the UK.
The odds are stacked against young people from underrepresented backgrounds becoming part of the UK’s cultural workforce:
- Personal networks and insider knowledge are vital for making your way in the industries
- People of colour are substantially underrepresented
- People of working class origins get paid less
- Unpaid work is accepted as an inevitable first step on the professional ladder
Since 2013, we’ve been opening up opportunities in higher education, the media and arts for young people to break into the arts and humanities. We currently support over 1,000 young people, providing them with guidance to chart their own course, and creating connections to help them get ahead.
We offer 16-25 year olds who are passionate about the arts and humanities a year of free mentoring with a professional from their dream industry. Our mentors help our young people set goals, explore their interests and make decisions about higher education, training and careers.
After a young person completes their year of mentoring, we’ll keep offering them support until their 26th birthday, through our network of volunteers who are keen to help! Our network is made up of arts professionals in all sorts of fields across the country, and they share advice, opportunities and contacts with young people.
