Six major arts orgs handing over control to young people – London City Takeover (5-7 Apr)

It has never been more important for us all to champion the energy and ideas of creatives aged 16 to 25, to support them with strong platforms to express themselves, and to give them physical spaces to connect with each other. This is why we – Battersea Arts Centre, BFI, the Roundhouse, Tate, Wired4Music and the Young Vic – are pledging to give over space to young people for the first pilot London City Takeover. We will each hand over space, both physical and digital, to an exciting collective aged 16 to 25 from ‪‪Friday 5 April to Sunday 7 April, who will use this platform to share their visions of the future.

The London City Takeover will include a breakfast panel discussion at the Young Vic, takeovers at the Roundhouse and Battersea Arts Centre, live events by Wired4Music, and will feature as part of Late at Tate Britain. The programme will close with an open and inclusive digital exchange and discussion on social media, led by young artists.

The London City Takeover is initiated by Battersea Arts Centre’s Artistic Director (Up Next) Saad Eddine Said.

Statement from Battersea Arts Centre, BFI, the Roundhouse, Tate, Wired4Music and the Young Vic

Statement from the young people working with arts organisations

We, the young people working with London based arts organisations, are responding with a city-wide celebration encouraging young artists involvement and engagement in arts, culture and politics. The London City Takeover will take place across London, hosting events that will highlight young artist’s contributions to politics and culture, and incite our potential. The weekend will include free workshops, talks, performances and exhibitions aimed at young people to explore and empower our political and creative agency. The London City Takeover will be a platform to express our unity, and make a noise loud enough to re-engage with the wider conversation.

This is a statement from Emma Pearce, Henrietta Imore, Jacqueline Wan, Lily Evans-Hill and Luke Ainger.

City Takeover dates and early programme (full line up coming soon):

‪‪Friday 5 April

Late at Tate Britain

Saturday 6 April

Young Vic producer’s breakfast

Battersea Arts Centre #Occupy Takeover

Roundhouse Studios Takeover

Wired4Music live events

Sunday 7 April

Digital takeovers