The Agency was originally developed by the Brazilian theatremaker and journalist Marcus Faustini in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
What is The Agency?
The Agency is a youth enterprise project that works with young people from underserved areas to create social enterprises, events, projects and businesses that will have a positive impact on their local communities. It uses a creative methodology developed in the Favelas of Rio De Janeiro.
Your project idea can be about anything, from boxing workshops to music festivals, as long as it inspires positive change in your community.
How do we usually recruit?
The usual recruitment process involves being invited to pitch your idea to a panel of experts and, if successful, be given £2000 to turn your passion into a project, business or social enterprise. You’ll also be given professional support and guidance to help you succeed.
How did it start?
The Agency was originally developed by the Brazilian theatremaker and journalist Marcus Faustini in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where the project has become a major force for change – Agencia de Redes para Juventude.
The Agency began in the UK in the Moston and Harpurhey areas of North Manchester, and the Clapham Junction and Battersea areas of London (in collaboration with Battersea Arts Centre and People’s Palace Projects). In 2017, The Agency was awarded £883,771 by the Big Lottery Fund to grow the project nationally to communities in Belfast and Cardiff in collaboration with FabLab Belfast and The National Theatre of Wales. The Agency has now expanded to Hampshire (with Energise Me) and Glasgow (with National Theatre Scotland).
Houses of Parliament
In 2019, Agency participants from Manchester and London presented to politicians and policy-makers at the Houses of Parliament, speaking about their projects and the impact of the programme on their communities. The project was also the focus of a major Guardian article: Knives, gangs and kids: how to break the cycle.
Find The Agency on Social Media:
Head to their website here to find out more.
You can keep up to date with The Agency by following the @agency_change accounts on Twitter and Instagram and liking the page on Facebook.
We recently published a detailed report on the delivery of The Agency. You can view it here.
You can also watch a selection of films created for The Agency on YouTube
The Agency is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. The UK pilot was funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
