Young Britons feel disconnected and locked out of creative arts, charity says

Participants of the Roundhouse youth programme perform on stage as part of Donna Summer Reimagined at the Roundhouse Three Sixty Festival in 2025. Photograph: Corinne Cumming View image in fullscreen Participants of the Roundhouse youth programme perform on stage as part of Donna Summer Reimagined at the Roundhouse Three Sixty Festival in 2025. Photograph: Corinne Cumming Young Britons feel disconnected and locked out of creative arts, charity says Research for Roundhouse in London shows 87% of 18- to 30-year-olds believe they have fewer artistic opportunities Rising costs, the disappearance of third spaces and reduced access to artistic opportunities are causing young people to feel “disconnected, isolated and locked out of creativity”, according to research commissioned by a youth arts charity. The Roundhouse , a multi-arts venue in north London that reopened in 2006 with a focus on running youth programmes, has released the findings to coincide with the publication of its 20-year impact report on Monday. It found that 87% of 18- to 30-year-olds believe they have fewer in-person opportunities to connect with others, build confidence and be creative outside school and work, compared with previous generations. Just over half of respondents pointed to a lack of safe community spaces, such as youth clubs, as one of the main barriers to forming connections with a community. In a statement, the Roundhouse said that “young people are losing the environments that help develop the confidence, relationships and transferable skills needed to enter employment” and referred to the £1.2bn real-terms cut in youth service spending by English local authorities since 2010. It also acknowledged the higher rate of youth unemployment in London, 24.6%, compared with the national average of 14.6% . Jack Rooke, the Bafta award-winning writer behind the Channel 4 series Big Boys and an alumnus of the Roundhouse, said: “When I look back at the start of my career, loads of the places that nurtured me and my ideas have vanished.” Concerns over a “lost generation” of young people not in education, employment or training have gained greater attention after the publication of the first part of a government-commissioned report by the former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn last week. It cited structural issues, in addition to ill health and inequality, as factors responsible for official statistics showing the number of young people not working or studying has surpassed a million during the first quarter of this year. View image in fullscreen Young people participating in a circus skills drop-in session as part of the Roundhouse youth programme. Photograph: Roundhouse/PA Rooke said: “The Milburn review is tackling an urgent crisis in youth unemployment, but I believe it’s crucially important to look at the bigger picture. The crisis facing young people isn’t just economic; it’s deep, systemic isolation, low self-esteem and loneliness. “Alongside employment, we should prio