Introducing The Mighty Creatives’ Youth Board

Young people often have a unique outlook and perspective on the world, bringing new and exciting developments in every industry. With under 30s making up over 35% of the UK population, it is important young people have a say in anything relating to them, their future and the world as a whole
— Youth Board Member, TMC

In September 2021, we launched recruitment for our Youth Board, a group of young people aged 16-21 who are passionate about creative industries, arts, culture and making a difference to the lives of children and young people across the East Midlands. We recruited 7 brilliant young people to join us in the fight for the creative voices of children and young people across the East Midlands and to help direct our charity, mission and programmes.  

What is a Youth Board? 

“It gives a voice to the future. Creating change for the better” – Youth Board Member, TMC 

As a charity, we have a ‘Board of Trustees’, who are a group of individuals that have overall responsibility for directing The Mighty Creatives’ and our work. A Youth Board is the equivalent, equally as influential, just youth led. 

Sitting on a Youth Board provides an opportunity to… 

Be part of and help build a network of likeminded people 
Learn new skills and gain invaluable knowledge and experiences to help now and in the future 
Create positive social change to a cause you believe in 
Lead and influence key decisions  
Develop strategic and critical thinking skills 
Help shape the present and future  

“Youth Voice is the viewpoints, stories, experiences and contributions of children and young people, having their say in issues that affect them” – Youth Board Member, TMC 

Who is on TMC’s Youth Board? 
The Mighty Creatives’ Youth Board includes passionate, motivated and creative young people aged 16-21 from across the East Midlands, with representatives from Derby, Nottingham/shire and Leicestershire. Why not hear a little bit about them and their interests below? 

Meet Janah 
“Hi there! I’m Janah, the neighbourhood’s friendly daydreaming, batman-loving, neurodivergent creative writer. I love all things creative and I’m big on self-expression. People know me as the one with the bright clothes and the big hair, so if you ever see me out and about doodling in my notebook, come say hi!” 

Meet Samantha 
“Hello, I’m Samantha and I’m on the Youth Board to create positive change for arts and culture towards children in the East Midlands. I study illustration, and within my practice I love creating stop frame animation.” 

Meet Connor 
Connor “needs you to understand how his heart works, so you can better understand your own.  
A writer, poet, educator and advisory board member: yes. A believer in the power of a poem to transform a person, a room, a world: also yes. To know Connor’s writing is to know more interesting ways to feel.  
Find him catching Pokémon whilst attending writing workshops, scribbling poems in the corners of poetry nights, curating perfect Spotify playlists and supporting communities of young people to have access to a pen / paper. And in doing so: their voice.” 

Meet Shantelle 
“Hi! I’m Shantelle and I’m a member of the TMC Youth Board. From as soon as I could pick up a camera or use a computer I have loved creating videos and animations to showcase my creativity! I also love listening to music, watching a good series (Doctor Who is definitely my favourite) and spending time with my family and friends.” 

Meet Chiara 
“Hi my name is Chiara and I am part of the TMC youth board. I love musicals and theatre as well as writing poetry. I am currently training to be a primary school teacher. Creativity allows me to express how I am feeling as well as to have fun. I believe that all children should have many opportunities to be creative so that is one of the things I aim to achieve as a primary school teacher. I can’t wait to be on the youth board”. 

Meet Maisie 
“Hi, my name is Maisie and my passion is painting and drawing. I became part of the TMC Youth board because I enjoy engaging with all aspects of the creative arts and believe we should try to encourage young people to get involved with them as much as possible!” 

Meet Gemma 
“Hi, I’m Gemma! The arts have always been of interest for me as they have provided opportunities for healthy escapism when needed. I am extremely passionate about the positive impact the arts can have on wellbeing and mental health, particularly for young people who have experienced trauma. I joined TMC Youth Board as I am a huge advocate for positive change and wanted to make a meaningful contribution to my local region.” 

The Youth Board are supported by Emily York – TMC’s Youth Programme Manager, Emily Bowman – TMC’s Deputy CEO and Louise Kay – TMC’s Youth Programme Coordinator, alongside staff and our Board of Trustees. 

What will they be working on? 

“I really like the idea of getting involved with some industry experts, learning new things and also the opportunities to potentially work on events or conferences” – Youth Board Member, TMC 

What they will be working on specifically is decided by the Youth Board and directed by their interests. You will see the Youth Board getting involved in The Mighty Creatives’ work across the organisation, supporting developing programmes as well as shaping and directing our work to ensure we deliver relevant and meaningful work with and for children and young people. They will also be working closely with our Board of Trustees to help make key decisions about the organisation’s future. 
They will do this by engaging in monthly board meetings alongside team meetings, away days and networking opportunities. 

They will also have the opportunity to get involved in… 

Generating ideas for new projects and programmes 
Developing TMC’s business plan and programmes 
Supporting shortlisting and interviewing new staff and grant recipients 
Networking opportunities 
Representing TMC at events/conferences 
Accessing 1:1 support and coaching from TMC 
Supporting the shortlisting for our annual BMBC Awards 
Taking over TMC’s Social Media 
And much more… 

The most exciting of all is to direct, develop and deliver a youth-led symposium in the Summer of 2022, so watch this space for more information! 

Where can we find out more and how can we get involved? 
You can find out more about the Youth Board on our ‘Meet our Team’ page. Keep an eye out on our social media channels, including TikTok, for extra special content!  

If you’d like to get involved in the Youth Board, email Louise Kay, louise@themightycreatives.com.  

Stay tuned for some very exciting developments! 

“Youth Voice is where a group of people are giving a voice to the youth, making them seen within society” – Youth Board Member, TMC. 

Main image features our Youth Board, plus Chiara, who is missing from the photo