Mansfield Arts team celebrating 25 years of inspiring young people across the county
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mansfield Arts team, Inspire Youth Arts, who have developed their own unique and award-winning approach to delivering innovative and accessible music, dance and digital arts opportunities, with children, young and disabled people at the heart of everything they do.
Andy Dawson, manager at Inspire Youth Arts (IYA) said: “It’s been a real privilege to lead a project that has such an impact on the lives of Nottinghamshire young people for so many years. That is our legacy”
Jess Fisher, former participant and now tutor at IYA, said: “Inspire Youth Arts has enabled me to develop talents and skills I never thought possible.
"I was 14-years-old when I started getting involved with Inspire. They helped me to embrace and discover my love for making and performing music. Inspire has always supported my journey over the years and because of that it's got me where I am today.
"I am now 23 and am performing at events and teaching music to other young people.”
For 15 of those years the team have been based at The Old Library arts centre on Leeming Street in Mansfield which provides a unique creative hub with a 100-seat studio theatre, professional recording studio, an exhibition area, café-bar, media suite and meeting, teaching, workshop and rehearsal spaces.
Peter Gaw, chief executive officer at Inspire said: “Inspire Youth Arts has been part of Inspire since it started in 2016 and is central to the work we do to inspire young people to learn and enjoy culture.
"The team are expert in being inclusive and ambitious in the work they produce and coordinate, with Nottinghamshire young people right at the centre.
"The 25th anniversary of the service is a great opportunity to celebrate the impact it has had and look to the future of many more opportunities to inspire new generations of creatives.”
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