From the 22nd June 2026 to the 29th June 2026, we launched a match funding campaign with support from Big Give to raise money for Voices of the Future, a summer programme of events and activities for young people across Birmingham and Sandwell. Over the campaign, our supporters raised a fantastic £10,312, helping to make opera accessible and available to young people - thank you.

About the campaign

In summer 2026, we're launching a brand new youth engagement programme, Voices of the Future, with support from Big Give and their partners NCVO & Global's Make Some Noise. We were specially selected by Big Give to receive match funding in support of our work with young people. With a goal of raising £10,000 in just one week, each donation to Voices of the Future was matched by an anonymous donor. Our supporters raised a phenomenal £10,312 in support of the programme. Thank you to everyone who donated.

About Voices of the Future

The recent Young People and Work interim report exposed the UK’s issue with creating opportunities for young people: almost 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training. And in Birmingham, more than double the national average of young people are on Universal Credit and looking for work.

Voices of the Future encourages Birmingham and Sandwell's young people aged 16 to 25 to get involved with creative opportunities and training, in response to the rising number of young people who aren’t in education, employment, or training. Since 2020, we've been out-and-about speaking to young people and creating networks with youth centres to deliver opportunities (you can read more about this on our Sandwell Creates and Four Hubs pages). We're eager to play our part in building a healthy and creative future for the next generation of artists and creatives, and are turning all of our resources towards supporting Birmingham and Sandwell’s young people via Voices of the Future. We’ll deliver hands-on training and mentoring for young people, aiming to reduce isolation and disengagement, whilst increasing confidence and building skills.

You can take a look at our Big Give campaign page here!