Young people in Oldham aged 16 to 25 are being offered paid placements, training and mentoring in the creative sector through a new programme backed by Arts Council England.

Oldham Council has secured funding from Arts Council England's National Lottery Place Partnership Projects to launch the Young Creative Producers Programme (YCPP).

Each participant will receive a £3,000 bursary and complete a 200-hour placement with a cultural organisation in the borough. The programme also includes an intensive training course delivered by cultural sector specialists, covering practical skills for careers in the arts and creative industries.

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 and Mahdlo. Global Grooves will oversee delivery, working with cultural, education and community partners.

Placements will be available in areas including theatre, music, festivals, heritage, digital inclusion, environmental arts and community engagement.

The scheme is designed to tackle the loss of local creative talent by strengthening pathways into creative careers, while giving young people a meaningful role in designing and delivering cultural activity across Oldham. It will also provide targeted opportunities for young people from under-represented communities, with the aim of creating a more equal, diverse and inclusive cultural sector.

Jodie Barber, Oldham Council's assistant director for youth and communities, said the programme was a significant investment in both Oldham's young people and its cultural future.

"The programme will provide valuable experience, skills and qualifications, while giving participants a genuine voice in shaping cultural activity across the borough," she said.

"By working in partnership, we are creating opportunities that will help young people thrive, strengthen our cultural sector in shared priorities such as environmental sustainability and inclusive practices, and support Oldham's wider regeneration ambitions."

Jen Cleary, Arts Council England's Director for the North West, said: "Everyone should have the chance to develop a creative career, wherever they live and whatever their background, so I'm delighted that we are funding the Young Creative Producers Programme.

"It will enable young people to expand their skills, shape how their local cultural ecology works and get familiar with how culture and creative industries can offer a rewarding future career."