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Five young people sit around a table in a room lit by blue/green light. They are all wearing headphones with a microphone in front of them. Behind them is a silver fringe curtain hung up on the wall and green and white bunting that reads 'Speak Up'.
Five young people sit around a table in a room lit by blue/green light. They are all wearing headphones with a microphone in front of them. Behind them is a silver fringe curtain hung up on the wall and green and white bunting that reads 'Speak Up'.

Speak Up

Speak Up is a National Theatre secondary school programme that sees young people working in collaboration with local artists and teachers to co-create artistic responses to issues that are most important to them. The programme encourages new ways for young people to think, see and bring about change.

The programme takes place in areas of low arts engagement where there is an inequality of access to opportunities for young people and their voices are not always heard. Young people work as equal partners with their teachers, artists, local arts organisations and the National Theatre, to co-create artworks and projects in response to issues which matter to them. By 2025, Speak Up will have engaged 140,000 young people in 55 secondary schools nationwide.

Speak Up in Sunderland

Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire have delivered Speak Up since 2021, working with over 150 young people across five schools; Barbara Priestman Academy, Beacon of Light, Hetton Academy, Oxclose Academy and Thornhill Academy. Our partner schools are diverse – including mainstream, SEN and alternative provision to ensure a wide range of voices represented through the project.

The Speak Up partnership allows us to support freelance artists in their practice and ensures that they are paid properly for their time. This includes planning, training and formulating their ideas at termly meetings with the city-wide team, artists and teachers.We work with over 20 fantastic artists in the city who underpin the project and who champion the programme and learning/engagement opportunities.

Throughout the year, young people take part in weekly sessions, responding creatively to themes, conversations and debate. We also have a national Speak Up council, who report back to the National Theatre about the things that matter to our Sunderland young people. This in turn, helps to shape the project. In Sunderland, we are supported by a Speak Up Council Representative and who ensures that the voices of Sunderland Young people are heard.

It is a truly unique arts and education partnership. It brings together pupils, young people, teachers, schools, arts organisations and artist practitioners. They share lived experience and creative input through co-production, to make meaningful connections, and imagine new possibilities. Outcomes and learning are then embedded into the community of Sunderland for long lasting legacy. Through Speak Up, we commit to make art that engages young people creatively, meaningfully and proudly, to bring about social change.

 

 

Three teenagers lean into write on a spray-painted canvas board set up on a table out in a courtyard.
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A white room set up for an interview with film-recording equipment. Teenagers sit and stand with various pieces of filmmaking equipment - camera, boom mic, clapper board.
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A group of students in uniform pose for a photograph holding up canvasses of graffiti artwork.
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A group of students and teachers pose for a group photograph with local musician and actor Kema Kay.
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Sunderland Empire Takeover Project

In July 2024 the project took over Sunderland Empire. Young people showcased their artwork, inviting other young people to take part in workshops and build skills and confidence to  facilitate sessions and workshops independently.

It was wonderful to come together to celebrate the incredible achievements and powerful work created by our young people this year. As well as celebrating and showcasing, the event was all about the power and importance of young people being heard and having the opportunity to be creative amongst trusted partners and peers.

Below is a selection of work created on the project.

A group of young people gather in a space with pictures on the wall and a large window at the other end.
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A group of young people gather in front of a collage wall made up or urban landscape images.
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A group of students in uniforms sit on the floor in front of a long strip of paper. Each is drawing on it in different places.
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A group of young people gathered inside wearing headphones. One of the group helps another to put the headphones on.
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A large scale artwork. Pencil drawn portraits of young people on different coloured backgrounds are collaged in the bottom half of the piece. The top half is a collection of different coloured rectangular sections that each have a different shop message written using collaged letters.
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Thornhill Academy Punk Portraits

Thornhill Academy worked with artist Tommy Anderson and Rep Sarah Marsden to create their own portrait inspired by their project looking at identity and the change they wanted to see in the world. They explored what protest means, the reasons for it and what is important to them. Tommy then worked with their individual artworks and created a final piece. Speak Up is very excited to be able to showcase this work as part of the exhibition, The Skin We Live In.

Open Media

Beacon of Light Podcast

Working with artist Alastair Cummings and Rep Steph Durkin, the group learned podcasting skills to create their own podcast. The podcast explores themes important to them such as love, relationships and what it is like to attend The Beacon of Light.

Speak up is generously supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, who share our belief in the power of youth voice and working with young people to enable positive change in their lives, schools and local communities.

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