Nine leading arts organisations in Brent have been awarded £550,000 through Arts Council England National Lottery Place Partnership funding to expand the borough’s cultural sector. This significant investment will enhance opportunities for children to engage with arts and culture while creating new career pathways for young people.

Already identified as a Priority Place in the Arts Council England’s 2024-2027 delivery plan, Brent is set to benefit from the large-scale initiative designed to reach underserved communities. The funding will focus on engaging those who are less likely to access the arts or consider a creative career in the arts as a viable option.

The initiative, known as ‘Vi-Brent’ will bring together the expertise of its members over three years with the ambition of enabling more than 7,000 children and young people to participate in a wide range of arts programmes and projects. Representing a diverse range of art forms from immersive theatre to orchestral music, carnival arts and filmmaking, projects will engage with children and young people aged four years old to 25 years and over.

Key activity will include:

• A pilot project of free Brent-based arts provision for Primary Schools
• A children's arts festival involving over 4,000 children and young people
• Skills bootcamps for young people interested in future careers in music production, film, TV or theatre.

The nine organisations that form part of the Vi-Brent network are: Punchdrunk Enrichment, Fresh Arts, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Unique Community, Mahogany Arts, Young Brent Foundation, Garden Studios, The Awareness Tap and Brent Council.

Brent-based artists, creatives and culture workers are invited to the Vi-Brent launch on Thursday 30 January at Punchdrunk Enrichment Stores to find out more about the project and how they can get involved - go to punchdrunkenrichment.org.uk for more information.

Michelle Walker, London Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “The collaboration and dedication of the nine organisations involved in Vi-Brent is truly inspiring. We are delighted to support this community focused initiative, which invests deeply in the cultural capacity of Brent and seeks to bring about a step-change in the opportunities available to young people in the borough —now and for the future. We look forward to seeing the impact this network will achieve in the years ahead.”

Peter Higgin, Artistic Director of Punchdrunk Enrichment said: “We know that the Brent creative community already has so much to offer its young people. Through the Vi-Brent programme we are looking forward to bringing these organisations closer together and transforming the life chances of the borough’s young people through culture.”

Sarah Bardwell, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra said: “We are delighted that the new Vi-Brent consortium has been awarded Priority Place funding by Arts Council England and believe this will be a positive and exciting step forward for the whole cultural sector in Brent. The RPO is committed to making Brent our home, and as we move to Wembley Park in 2025 we look forward to collaborating with a truly vibrant network of cultural organisations to create more cultural opportunities for young people in the borough.”

Errol Donald, BCEP Manager, Young Brent Foundation said: “By championing the wealth of creative resources and opportunities for the young people of Brent, the Vi-Brent programme will play a vital role in supporting the LCEP to hold a space for disseminating Brent’s rich cultural offer, and thus engaging children and young people to play an active, participatory role in championing the value of creative and cultural practice within their own communities.’’

Nataliya Kharina, Artistic Director Unique Community said: "As an arts organisation, we know how important it is to sustain good quality cultural provisions for children, young people and the wider community and this feels like a fantastic opportunity for our beloved borough to do so!"

Davinia Khan, Artistic Director, Fresh Arts said: “Fresh Arts is part of the Vi-Brent Consortium as we believe that leading cultural organisations working together can produce lasting change in Brent. Our plan for Vi-Brent is to support the creation of a network for cultural organisations and to collaboratively work to strengthen the sector. The impact on young people will be significant through the creation of projects to signpost young people to artistic opportunities in the borough and to engage young people in large scale collaborative projects. The work training element of our project will help to develop the next generation of creative and cultural workers and ensure that opportunities are open to young people of every background.” 

Councillor Donnelly-Jackson said: "Vi-Brent will provide exciting new opportunities for young people to access culture, perfectly aligning with our Borough Plan objective of ensuring The Best Start in Life. By offering creative opportunities, we’re empowering young people to unlock their talents and potential, helping to shape a vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic future for Brent."

Leone Buncombe, Head of Talent & Community at Garden Studios said: "Vi-Brent will offer a diverse cohort of young people access to high-quality programs across various creative fields. We’re committed to nurturing the next generation of talent, and are thrilled to play a key role in this impactful partnership.’’