Oldham Council has secured funding to launch a new programme giving young people aged 16 to 25 paid opportunities to shape culture across the borough.

The Young Creative Producers Programme is funded through Arts Council England's National Lottery Place Partnership Projects. Each participant will receive a £3,000 bursary and complete a 200-hour placement with a local cultural organisation, alongside training, mentoring and accredited learning.

The programme is led by Oldham Council's Heritage, Libraries and Arts Service and delivered in partnership with Global Grooves, Northern Roots, Peshkar, Oldham Coliseum, Oldham Theatre Workshop, Oldham Sixth Form College, Mahdlo and others. Global Grooves will oversee delivery.

Placements will cover theatre, music, festivals, heritage, digital inclusion, environmental arts and community engagement. Participants will also take part in an intensive training programme featuring cultural sector specialists and practical skills for future arts careers.

The initiative aims to tackle local talent drain, strengthen pathways into creative careers and ensure young people play a central role in designing and delivering Oldham's cultural activity. It will also provide targeted opportunities for young people from under-represented communities, supporting greater equality, diversity and inclusion across the sector.

Jodie Barber, Assistant Director for Youth and Communities at Oldham Council, said the funding represents a significant investment in the borough's young people and cultural future. She said the programme will provide valuable experience, skills and qualifications while giving participants a genuine voice in shaping cultural activity, and will support shared priorities such as environmental sustainability and inclusive practices alongside Oldham's wider regeneration ambitions.

Jen Cleary, Director North West at Arts Council England, said everyone should have the chance to develop a creative career wherever they live and whatever their background. She said the programme will enable young people to expand their skills, shape how their local cultural ecology works and become familiar with how culture and creative industries can offer a rewarding future career.

Holly Prest, Artistic Director of Global Grooves, said the organisation is delighted to work with Oldham Council and partners to deliver the programme. She said giving young people paid opportunities to lead, create and influence cultural activity will help develop the next generation of creative leaders while building a more inclusive and representative cultural sector.

The programme aligns with Oldham Council's priorities around skills, inclusion and place-based regeneration, while helping to build a more sustainable and representative cultural workforce for the future.