Author Sir Ken Robinson will work to encourage 10,000 young people to become involved in the creative arts as part of his new partnership with the Roundhouse.
Sir Ken, an international adviser on education in the arts, is the London venue’s newly-announced associate creative curator, a position he will hold for the next five years.
He will work with the performing arts and concert venue to transform the lives of young people, while advocating for the value of culture and creativity in society.
Over the next five years, the Roundhouse hopes to grow the number of young people it works with from 4,500 to 10,000 each year, “particularly those from diverse and under-represented backgrounds”.
Sir Ken said: “I’m thrilled to be working in partnership with the Roundhouse to promote and support the development of the arts with young people.
“The arts in all their forms are a vital part of the health and vitality of our communities. The Roundhouse has an unparalleled history in the cultural life of the UK and internationally and has long demonstrated its deep commitment to facilitating the creative lives of young people.”
As part of Sir Ken’s partnership with the venue, a three-day festival celebrating imagination, creativity and innovation will be held at the Roundhouse in February 2019.
Marcus Davey, chief executive and artistic director of the Roundhouse, also said they are planning to build a new creative space in the venue for 18-to-30-year-olds, and a new studio.
Mr Davey said: “At the Roundhouse we exist to provide a place of inspiration where artists and emerging talent create extraordinary work and where young people can grow as individuals.
“At a time when creativity is disappearing from the curriculum and youth centres and spaces for young people are closing – we’re a safe space that all young people can call home.
“We are delighted to be working with Sir Ken Robinson to help us on our mission to transform the lives of even more young people through creativity.
“He is someone that I greatly admire but most importantly someone who will inspire us and help us grow the numbers of young people we work with to over 10,000 per year and will help us lead a change in wider society.”