Culture enriches lives: all children and young people should have the opportunity to engage with high quality cultural experiences no matter where they live or what their background.

The Find Your Talent pilot programme aims to provide all Children and Young People aged 0-19 years access to five hours of quality culture every week. They will be given the opportunity to learn in and about culture, developing as critical spectators, participants and creators of the cultural world around them. They will learn through culture using engagement with the arts and other activities to boost attainment, transferable skills and personal development.

141 Expressions of Interest (EOI) were submitted to be pathfinders for the Find Your Talent pilot programme. Of these, ten EOI's were selected by a National Development Group, Stakeholder Group and Ministers to become the Find Your Talent pathfinders. These are:

• Bolton


• The Creative Foundation (serving Shepway District and including Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh)


• Customs House (North and South Tyneside)


• Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH - serving specific areas in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton)


• Leeds


• Leicester and Leicestershire County Council


• 'Liverpool City Region' Partnership (serving three Merseyside neighbourhoods)


• North Somerset


• Telford and Wrekin


• Tower Hamlets

Download DCMS Press Release (PDF)
Download the Find Your Talent prospectus (PDF)

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The 10 pathfinder projects for the Find Your Talent Programme came together on the 18th June 2008 to begin planning for the pilot programme. Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families joined representatives from the 10 pathfinders to discuss the way forward. Two students from Morpeth Secondary School asked the ministers some poignant questions about their expectations for the programme.

Discussions also took place between the pathfinders and a range of national arts and cultural organisations on how best to collaborate and build partnerships during the programme.

The Find Your Talent programme will be launched in the 10 areas between Sunday 21st and Tuesday 23rd September. At this time more information on and contact details for the pathfinder areas will be available online.

Watch video of the 18th June event
Download Pilot Proposals (PDF)