About
Creativity. Community. Change.
The Agency of Change is a national charity that champions creativity as a catalyst for leadership, opportunity and systemic change.
We primarily work with young people aged 15–25 from underserved communities across the UK and Northern Ireland, helping them design and deliver social impact projects rooted in lived experience.
We believe young people are not the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today. Our role is to resource, amplify and stand alongside them as they use creativity to build fairer, more connected and imaginative communities.
As arts education shrinks and inequality widens, The Agency of Change creates space for young people to lead with creativity, not crisis. Young people are not a problem; they are the solution.
“Creativity isn’t a luxury, it’s how communities imagine better futures.”
Our Story
The Agency was founded in 2013, inspired by the work of Brazilian theatre-maker, activist and journalist Marcus Faustini. His methodology, developed in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, placed young people at the centre of community transformation, using creativity as a spark for social change.
In the UK, The Agency was incubated by Battersea Arts Centre, Contact and People’s Palace Projects. What began as a pilot in Manchester and London has grown into a national movement that bridges divides, fosters innovation and inspires similar programmes nationally and internationally.
In 2025, The Agency of Change became an independent charity, marking the next phase of our evolution. What began as a programme incubated by leading cultural institutions is now a national movement led by young people. This next chapter deepens our impact and strengthens our mission: to build a future where creativity, co-creation and youth-led innovation drive systemic change.
“This work began as an act of imagination; now it’s a national movement.”
Creativity as Systems Change
We use creativity to change how decisions are made. By resourcing young people as co-creators, The Agency of Change helps communities move from being consulted to being the ones who design solutions. Our work shifts power, practice and perception, building a national movement where creativity drives social justice.
Our People
The Agency of Change is powered by creative producers, facilitators, alumni and trustees who believe that when young people lead, communities thrive.
We ensure clear pathways into employment and governance, with alumni employed across delivery teams and serving as trustees. This circular model of leadership keeps young people at the centre of every decision, from programme design to governance.
→ Meet the people shaping this movement here.
Our Journey So Far
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Agência de Redes para Juventude founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, it has worked in dozens of favelas, directly engaging thousands young people.
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UK staff team train in the Agência methodology through several sessions with Marcus Faustini (founder, Brazil).
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The Agency pilots and adapts the methodology with young people in London (Battersea Arts Centre) and Manchester (Contact Theatre), supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
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The Agency builds a robust evaluation framework and continues delivery in London and Manchester, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Reaching Communities programme.
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The Agency pilots growth through new sites in Cardiff (with National Theatre Wales) and Belfast (with Fablab Belfast at New Lodge Arts) supported by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Growing Great Ideas programme.
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The Agency continues to grow, working with new partners Blackhorse Workshop and Waltham Forest Council (London Borough of Culture, 2019) and Kiln Theatre with Brent Council (London Borough of Culture, 2020).
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The Agency begins work in Southampton with Energise Me, expanding to the South Coast for the first time.
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The Agency launches its first community research pilot with with People’s Palace Projects.
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Item descriptionThe Agency celebrates 10 years with a national co-creation process to shape The Agency’s future, involving young people, partners, and alumni across the UK.
The Agency expands to Chester with Storyhouse and returns to Belfast with New Lodge Arts supported by the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation.
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The Agency of Change is registered as an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), marking a new chapter in its national development. It continues to expand partnerships, strengthen alumni leadership, and connect communities through co-creation, research and national gatherings.
Our Methodology
Creativity is our tool for change. Our approach makes the tools of artists accessible to everyone, using creative methods to research, imagine and build solutions.
Each project begins with lived experience and ends with tangible impact.
Through creativity, young people explore their passions, research their communities, develop ideas and pitch to a panel of local leaders. Successful projects receive seed funding, mentorship and producing support to bring their ideas to life.
Our work begins with a simple but powerful question: What is your desire for change?
Through creativity, young people learn to communicate ideas, collaborate, problem-solve and lead. Many begin not seeing themselves as creative, but discover that creativity is already part of who they are — a tool for expression, innovation and leadership. Agents take part in decision-making at every level from what projects to develop, how they would spend their allocated budget, and which direction their idea should grow.
Our approach is independently evaluated and as a model of best practice in place-based work.
‘With the methodology, you learn through doing, mainly through different activities, from sports to dance to poetry, anything to get people engaged to try new things. It’s been quite helpful. If you are learning and doing new things, you are learning new skills.’ - Southampton Agent
Our Approach
The Agency of Change stands apart through its co-created, asset-based methodology that transforms not only young people’s lives but also how organisations and communities work together.
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We support young people as individuals and as part of a collective movement, improving opportunities while mobilising a force for systemic change.
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We use creativity as a practical tool to unlock innovation, helping young people lead, connect and realise their potential in education, employment and enterprise.
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We transform how cultural and community organisations work with young people. Every decision, from project ideas to governance, is shaped with them.
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Each local site becomes part of a national ecosystem where young people, partners and communities work together around shared goals and values.
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Alumni returns as mentors, facilitators and trustees, embedding youth voice at every level.
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We adapt our methodology to each community while connecting Agents into a wider national and international movement.
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Many alumni go on to develop organisations, lead campaigns and influence public policy, sustaining change far beyond the programme.
“Young people don’t need permission to lead, just the right conditions.”
Our Work
Our work spans a national ecosystem of programmes that nurture creativity, leadership and long-term social impact, connecting grassroots innovation to national change.
The Agency
Our flagship creative entrepreneurship programme supports young people to design and deliver projects tackling the issues that matter most to them. Agents receive creative training, mentoring, a weekly stipend and seed funding to bring their ideas to life.
Community Research
Our programmes are insight-led and evidence-informed. We conduct community research led by young people, exploring the challenges and strengths of their neighbourhoods. The findings shape projects, partnerships and local investment, ensuring every idea is grounded in lived experience and genuine community need.
The National Gathering
An annual event bringing together Agents, alumni, civic leaders, artists and partners from across the UK. The Gathering celebrates creativity, showcases youth-led innovation and strengthens the connections that make this movement thrive.
Partnerships and Practice
We collaborate with cultural organisations, councils and community centres to embed our creative methodology locally, strengthening ecosystems and ensuring meaningful, place-specific impact.
The Alumni Network
Alumni are at the heart of The Agency of Change in paid roles as facilitators and trustees. They mentor new cohorts and sustain a circular model of leadership where lived experience informs strategy.
Our model and programmes of work continue to evolve, adapting to new contexts and communities while proving that creativity can drive change anywhere.
“Before The Agency, I was afraid to share my ideas. Now I pitch to investors, run my own project, and lead conversations about change.” –Samuel, Alumni Agent and CEO of Young Manchester
Our Approach to Change in Action
Our approach combines creativity, enterprise and research to deliver measurable social, cultural and economic outcomes. Each site invests in young people, organisations and communities, ensuring a shared return on creativity.
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843+ young people are supported to design and launch projects. Agents receive paid creative training, mentoring and producing support, gaining the skills and confidence to lead their own ideas.
£45 weekly stipend
316 hours of creative training
20 hours of professional mentoring
128 hours of producing support
Attendance at the National Gathering
Access to national and local networks
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Currently 6 partner organisations trained and supported annually. Staff take part in intensive training and mentoring, embedding co-creation and inclusion across their teams and programmes, including:
4-day intensive training for staff
Co-creation toolkit and mentoring
Ongoing CPD sessions through the national network
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41,000+ community members are reached through local projects. Agents invest directly in their neighbourhoods, commissioning ideas and building infrastructure that strengthens local connections.
£6,000 commissioning investment through Agents’ projects
£3,000 investment in local infrastructure
21 new community projects each year
44 new training and employment opportunities annually
Our Vision
A future where creativity drives social justice and every young person, no matter their postcode, has the power and opportunity to lead.
We envision a world where:
Creativity is valued as a tool for systemic change.
Young people are recognised as catalysts for innovation.
Communities are co-creators, not passive recipients.
We don’t empower. We resource, amplify and stand alongside.
Join us in building a national movement where creativity drives change. Partner with us to embed co-creation, inclusion and creativity in practice — and help communities design their own futures.
