The Leeds33 Youth Leadership Lab is a two day opportunity to grow your voice, confidence and connections in Leeds’ creative community.
Are you aged 18–24 and passionate about arts, culture, or making change in your city?
Join Leeds33’s Youth Leadership Lab — a free, two-day experience designed to help you build skills in public speaking, leadership, and advocacy, while connecting with creative professionals and other young people across Leeds.
→ Build real-world skills in communication, confidence, and creative leadership
→ £150 honorarium for all participants
→ Travel and access costs covered
Together with Voice, you’ll explore how you can use your authentic voice to shape the future of Leeds’ arts and culture. Voicemag.uk is an open platform with over half a million visits a year covering arts, culture, politics and technology.
There are only 15 spaces available, so we’ll be creating a small, supportive group where everyone’s ideas can be heard.
👇 Full details about the Lab can be found below
👇 For further information check our FAQs
👉 If you want to take part fill in the expression of interest form (it only takes 5min)
Your Youth Leadership Lab with Leeds33
Over two days, you’ll be part of a creative and collaborative experience designed to build your confidence, develop your voice, and help you see how young people can play an active role in shaping Leeds’ arts and culture scene.
We’ll be joined by Voice, the team behind Voice Magazine, for a series of workshops, creative activities, and discussions exploring leadership, advocacy, and communication in the cultural sector.
You’ll also take part in an industry round table, meeting cultural professionals, trustees, and creative leaders from across Leeds. It’s a chance to ask questions, share your ideas, and make new connections with the people who shape our culture sector.
Day One – Finding Your Voice
The first day is all about confidence, communication, and creativity.
We’ll warm up as a group, get to know one another, and dive into sessions on:
→ Telling your story – Learn how to share what matters to you with confidence and clarity.
→ Public speaking and presentation skills – Build techniques to help you feel comfortable speaking out and leading others.
→ Your choice of creative skill – Whether it’s learning to present on camera, developing a project idea, or exploring co-production, this slot will be shaped by what the group most wants to learn.
→ Debating and discussion – Practise responding to different viewpoints and using your authentic voice to defend your point of view.
By the end of Day One, you’ll have started to shape your own story and see how your ideas can create change.
Day Two – Leading the Conversation
The second day moves from personal confidence to leadership and action.
We’ll explore what it means to influence decision-making and make your voice heard within organisations.
→ Youth voice and governance – Understand how young people can shape organisations through boards, youth voice groups, and leadership roles.
→ Advocacy and campaigning – Learn how to champion what matters to you and how to build safe, inclusive spaces for others.
→ Roundtable with industry leaders – Meet trustees, directors and cultural professionals from across Leeds to share ideas, ask questions, and make new connections.
→ Reflections and next steps – We’ll finish by celebrating what you’ve achieved and exploring how to use your new skills and contacts in the future.
The second day is all about turning confidence into action exploring leadership, influence and how to make your voice count.
Share With Others
We want this opportunity to reach as many young people as possible – please feel free to share this information with anyone who might be interested.
See you There
We can’t wait to meet you, hear your ideas, and start shaping the future of the culture sector in Leeds with you at the wheel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Are We
Leeds33 is the city’s Cultural Education Partnership – a charity that brings together schools, artists, cultural organisations and young people. We connect the dots between education and the arts, helping young people find their voice, shape their city, and build futures in and through culture.
Who Are Voice
Voice is a magazine and platform for young creatives covering arts, culture, politics and technology. Voice acts as a training ground for young people interested in arts and media careers and a catalyst for developing youth voice across the cultural sector.
Who is it For
The Youth Leadership Lab will help you build the confidence to hold your own, share your views, and represent other young people like you. We’re looking for participants, from all walks of life, who can see themselves having a positive influence on arts and culture in Leeds.
If you’ve ever thought, “That’s not for me. I never see anyone like me doing that…” then you might be exactly what the sector needs. Your voice matters.
To begin, all you need is the passion, the personality, and the drive to make change. We keep saying that young people are “the future”, but this is a chance to be citizens of the present – your voice, your views, your ideas, now.
When and Where
The Lab will be held over two days in the last two weeks of January.
We’ll confirm exact dates and times with the group, based on what works best for you.
Whether that’s a weekend, weekday, or evenings, we’ll make sure the workshops are accessible, inclusive and easy to attend for as many participants as we can.
The Lab will take place at the University of Leeds, and we’ll cover travel and access costs – taking part doesn’t cost you anything.
We have space for 15 participants, allowing us to keep the sessions small, personal, and fully supported for everyone involved.
Honorarium and Access Support
Everyone taking part will receive a £150 honorarium as a thank you for the time, energy, and creativity you bring to the project.
We also have additional funds available to support access – such as travel, childcare, mobility needs or additional support – so that everyone can take part fully and comfortably.
