The Agency
About the Agency
The Agency is a creative entrepreneurship programme enabling young people aged 15 to 25 from underserved areas to generate social change projects based on the needs they identify in their own communities.
THE AGENCY AT BAC
BAC supports young people (Agents) from the Winstanley & York Road Estates and The Doddington & Rollo Estate to develop creative projects that will create lasting change in their community.
Each year, a new cohort of Agents take part in creative workshops, develop their research skills and make professional networks to produce an initiative they are passionate about. At the end of the 12-week process, the Agents have the chance to pitch to a panel of experts to receive £2000 and further support to turn their idea into a reality.
“If you don’t consider yourself to be creative, The Agency helps you to be bold, to imagine what you want. The Agency brings it out of you.” Christina, Alumni Agent
Find out more about The Agency nationwide here
️ In 2023, The Agency celebrated its 10th anniversary in the UK. As part of the programme, an annual gathering was held for Agents and partners from across the country to come together, share ideas and network. Learn about the life-affirming stories from change-makers from across the UK who are living in areas where people simply are not given enough opportunities. Through The Agency, they have developed the tools to create impactful social projects, based on their desire for change.
Meet the Agents
2023-2024 Cohort
Nasteyo
Bright Paths aims at empowering young care leavers, introducing them to new networks and upskill them in areas ranging from budgeting to drama therapy, giving them the tools to take leadership in their own lives.
Riana
Young Icons gives young creatives an opportunity to put together a fashion show by holding multiple sessions learning how to sew, design, style and put together a fashion show.
Adeel
Food4Life aims to use food to bring together different communities within Wandsworth. Participants learnt how to cook food from different cultures and worked with an experienced chef to make a 3-course meal for their community supper club.
2022 – 2023 Cohort
Mark
The Workshop is a bike repairing workshop for young people, which also creates paid opportunities for the young so they do not participate in criminal activities.
Malakai
The Fantastic Swimming School raises awareness of the lack of swimming skills in the Black community, whilst unifying the community and increasing awareness about water safety and swimming as a lifesaving skill.
Eunice, Chrystal, Hawa & Sumaya
EYG – Empowering Young Girls is a project which spreads awareness on colourism and sexual harassment in schools, as well as creating photography based on the experiences of young women.
2020 – 2021
Nabeelah
Wisdom Woman aims to inspire girls aged 13-15 from low-income households who feel discouraged by parents & society to study STEM subjects and go onto professional careers in STEM.
Mikhi
Project CUBE IT aims to increase confidence and resilience by getting young people into their local creative spaces to explore theatre, network and build transferable skills.
Aliya
The Civics Convention educates young people from ethnic majority backgrounds on the political landscape in England, to utilise their voting rights and pass on that education to their families and local community.
Agents Are Changing the World
Osmond Gordon Vernon
Osmond developed a board game called Life Is What U Make It, based on his own experience growing up on Battersea’s Winstanley Estate. Osmond was passionate about supporting other young people to understand the consequences of their decisions and feel inspired to make better life choices. Following further funding and trials in local schools as part of their Key Stage 3 curriculum, Osmond has been developing a new life-size version of the game for outdoor festivals, and workshops based on the game for Wandsworth schools. In 2023, Osmond won the National Lottery Young Hero of the Year Award for his amazing work.
You can read more about the game here.
Henrietta Imoreh
Henrietta has experience of the care system and a passion for theatre. Through The Agency she developed a theatre company called Re:Define. She now owns her own children’s entertainment company, is a public speaker and campaigner for care leavers’ rights and sits on the Board of Trustees for BAC.
“The Agency made me think creatively about my whole life. The process started with me and my desire and was shaped by what I wanted to do. This movement of changemakers has made me who I am today.” Henrietta
HOW DID THE AGENCY START?
The Agency was originally developed by the Brazilian theatre maker, activist and journalist Marcus Faustini in the favelas of Rio De Janeiro. The programme was brought to the UK through a partnership between Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), Contact and People Palace Projects (PPP). Instead of asking what they can do to help young people through the arts, they thought about how they can pool their resources, knowledge and expertise to foster change based on the desires of young people.
“We ask two questions: who is the most talented young person you know who should be in this project? And who are the ones who are not engaged at all, who you imagine won’t have any ideas? Because we want both of them.”
Marcus Faustini , Agency founder
Longitudinal evaluation report 2013-2023
In 2023, we carried out a study on The Agency’s impact over the past decade. The evaluation examined whether the short and long-term outcomes outlined in the Theory of Change (ToC) hold true; whether the programme’s activities and ways of working are effective in achieving these outcomes; and what can be done to improve the programme and its methodology going forward. The evaluation took a creative and participatory approach, using alternative methods to engage current and past Agents in data collection and analysis.
JOIN THE AGENCY
Do you have an idea that will make positive social change, but not sure how to make it a reality?
If you’re aged 15-25, from the Winstanley & York Road Estates and The Doddington & Rollo Estate and you have ideas that need to happen in the community, we want to hear from you.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST TO JOIN THE AGENCY
Register your interest in joining our next cohort of The Agency below and we will be in touch with more information when applications re-open. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can email Rohie at rohien@bac.org.uk or nextgen@bac.org.uk
“The Agency has pushed me to step up and trust in my experience and ability. The Agency’s power is in changing perspectives and empowering young people to trailblaze the solutions of their worlds.” Yomi, Assistant Facilitator (BAC) and Alumni Agent (Contact)