Arts and cultural organisations: organisational perspectives on youth outreach work (pre-covid) in disadvantaged neighbourhoods – a case study of Thanet

Research has shown that engagement with arts and culture is beneficial to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (Arts Council England, 2020). The sector is widely acknowledged for the role it plays in tackling wider social issues and Arts Council England claims that it will increase opportunities for young people to experience creativity (Arts Council England, 2020). Set against this background, this research study has been developed to explore the role of youth outreach activities/events, from an organisational perspective of arts and cultural organisations, using the case study area of Thanet. Thanet is a coastal area located in East Kent, with rates of unemployment, crime and deprivation that exceeds the national average (Thanet District Council, 2018).

To address the research aim, the methodology was designed to, firstly, provide a comprehensive audit of arts and cultural organisations in Thanet that engage with youth outreach activities/events with youths 11-18 years. This allowed the study to explore the nature of these organisations and the scope of outreach work carried out within Thanet. The audit conducted via web-based secondary analysis and an online survey also provided the basis for organisations to be sampled for a set of ten semi-structured interviews. These interviews carried out online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowed the study to explore the enabling environment, positive mental health, and challenges/barriers faced when planning/organising youth outreach that targets the target demographic.

The research demonstrates organisations perspectives on the role of youth outreach, while examining the challenges/barriers arts and cultural organisations in Thanet are experiencing due to funding cuts, increased competition, and low staffing. This research outlines successful ways of running youth outreach through key elements such as partnerships, funding, and technology. Further research would need to be conducted to ensure representativeness of this study’s findings in similar areas of deprivation i.e. Dover, Blackpool, Hastings, and Ilfracombe.