12 February 2026
Young Creatives Commission
The Centre for Young Lives think tank and the iconic London venue and youth charity the Roundhouse today (Thursday 12th February) launch the new Young Creatives Commission - a year‑long national inquiry into how to widen children and young people’s access to arts, culture and the creative industries.
The Commission will develop new solutions to put arts alongside sport as a core pillar of youth engagement and opportunity. It will draw on lessons from sport - including the role of clear pathways, strong local infrastructure, sustained investment and talent development models - to explore how similar approaches could be adapted to widen access, participation and progression in arts and culture. It will also put forward practical pathways into creative education and careers with a focus on boosting opportunities for young people aged 10-to-25, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.
The inquiry brings together a distinguished panel of Commissioners with wide‑ranging experience across arts, culture, sport and industry:
The Commission will be led by the Centre for Young Lives think tank and youth charity Roundhouse, the London-based performance space and leading creative centre for young people. As Roundhouse approaches its 20th anniversary, it is celebrating working with more than 100,000 young people through its creative youth programme which offers affordable opportunities across music, performance, broadcasting, film, spoken word, dance and entrepreneurship, and access to professional studios for creatives aged 13–25 from as little as £1 an hour.
Between now and the Commission’s final report in December 2026, its team will gather evidence from across the country, beginning with a call for evidence, to highlight existing success stories, and develop an ambitious programme of recommendations to:
The Commission starts from the principle that creativity should be integral to every young person’s life. Participation in the arts can be transformative, helping young people to discover identity and purpose, boosting mental health and wellbeing, and building technical and transferable skills for future employment.
However, access is increasingly unequal. Many state schools have cut back creative subjects such as music, drama and dance, while arts budgets continue to be squeezed. Outside school, grassroots arts and youth organisations have faced two decades of significant funding reductions. As a result, millions of young people - particularly those in areas of high deprivation - are missing out on local creative spaces and opportunities.
The Commission launches at a pivotal moment as the Government rolls out a new national curriculum, an ‘enrichment guarantee’, its national youth strategy, the Youth Guarantee, and Young Futures hubs.
Marcus Davey CBE, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Roundhouse, said:
“We see every day the difference that affordable, high-quality creative opportunities can make to young people’s lives. Yet too many young people across the UK are being locked out of the transformative power of creativity.
“Young people are facing a genuine crisis. The Young Creatives Commission is our response - bringing the Roundhouse together with leaders from across the creative sector and beyond to drive meaningful change.”
Daniel Mays, critically acclaimed British actor, said:
"For me, the Commission represents a wonderful opportunity to forensically address the issue of accessibility for young, working class people within the creative industries.
“Having 25 years’ experience as a professional actor and coming from a working class background myself, I know only too well how hard it can be to be seen, heard, for the creative foundations to be laid and the real tangible opportunities to come your way. To be included within this group of like-minded commissioners, along with all of their skill, experience and expertise, my hope is that the report will strike a chord with government and real change can happen.”
Jack Rooke, comedian and writer, and alumni 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. The Roundhouse is one of very few organisations I used to go to that has survived and is still engaging with young artists and still helping. I joined the Young Creatives Commission because I want to look at both how we engage young people with creativity, and how we make sure that young people are getting opportunities to explore creativity no matter where they come from.
“As an artist I can feel things, but as a Commissioner, I can actually look at real solutions for our industry and our young people.”
Haroon Chowdry, Chief Executive of the Centre for Young Lives, said:
“Creativity should be a normal and expected part of every young person’s life. Opportunities for young people to take part in the arts have declined in recent years, with unequal access shaped by factors such as geography, affordability, cultural relevance and the availability of local provision. These issues often affect young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, holding them back.
“The Young Creatives Commission has been established to create a fairer, more inclusive approach to creativity for young people.”
ENDS
For further information and interview bids.
© 2026 The Young Creatives Commission
The Young Creatives Commission is led by Centre for Young Lives, a think tank and advocacy organisation working to improve outcomes for children and young people, with a focus on education, wellbeing and opportunity.
The Commission is delivered in partnership with Roundhouse, a renowned performing arts and youth organisation supporting young people to develop creative skills, confidence and pathways into the creative industries.
