Curatorview [Alfredo Cramerotti]

MOSTYN in Llandudno has been selected, along with four other UK art galleries, to receive major funding to initiate a far reaching and ambitious programme for young people in North Wales. This welcome funding will allow the gallery to develop a sustainable plan to engage with and involve young people across the region over the next four years.

The award, announced last week at Tate Modern in London, is part of a £5m national arts programme for the under 25s entitled ‘Circuit’- funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and will be rolled out through selected galleries in the ‘Plus Tate’ network. Circuit aims to reach 80,000 young people aged 15-25, over four years. It will provide opportunities for young people, particularly those with least access to the arts – such as those living in rural areas – to participate and shape their own cultural experiences.

At MOSTYN the programme will enable young people to actively design, develop and deliver a range of innovative projects, using the arts as a catalyst for their own learning and that of their peers. These projects will encourage participation, develop excellence and build confidence in young people from a wide range of social, economic and cultural backgrounds.

Made up of four strands, the programme will include:

• Peer-led programme for young people;
• Sustained work with local youth organisations;
• Online and digital engagement;
• Young people’s arts festival in North Wales

Director of MOSTYN, Alfredo Cramerotti, said:

“I’m really excited about the prospect of bringing young people closer to the possibilities of contemporary art.  Our goal is to open up many debates on contemporary life, and art is a fantastic channel through which to do this, especially with younger generations.  The place of contemporary art is to help make sense of everyday life so full marks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Tate for providing this opportunity.”

The award builds upon existing work done at MOSTYN with the MOSTYN Ninjas – an art programme for young people aged 11-13, and funded by Plus Tate. The group meets on a regular basis to plan activities and arrange exciting events for other young people inspired by the exhibitions at MOSTYN.

Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate said: “Cultural organisations play a vital role in encouraging young people to use their imaginations and to express themselves. We can achieve much more working collectively than we can in isolation. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has made an extraordinary gesture by giving £5M to support this national network of galleries and young people. Circuit will spark a long-term transformation in the way young people engage with art.”

Jane Hamlyn, Chair of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, said: “As part of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s 25th anniversary, we are making some significant gifts to organisations we know well, and that we know are able to deliver impact through the work that they do. We are delighted to be supporting Circuit, as a national youth initiative, working through a group of fantastic organisations including Tate, with high ambitions for reaching and opening up the arts to so many young people in the UK.”

Six organisations are involved in Circuit. Alongside Tate are five national partners selected from the Plus Tate network: firstsite, Colchester; MOSTYN, Llandudno North Wales; Nottingham Contemporary; Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; and Wysing Arts Centre in collaboration with Kettle’s Yard, Cambridgeshire. All four Tate galleries will be involved: Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives (working closely with Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange).