The I AM Fund supports local performing arts organisations that provide opportunities for children and young people (ages 0-25) to participate in dance and drama.

The fund prioritises investment in youth talent, inspiring next generation creatives, and improving opportunities for children and young people to access performing arts.

Meet our most recent winners of the I AM Fund, which has two grant windows each year, the next one opens in August 2026. Find out more at I AM Fund Website.

Coltman Area Community Association

The project will deliver Voices Behind the Wall, a 12‑week youth performance project at Maurice Rawling Community Centre. Engaging children and young people in weekly workshops exploring spoken word, storytelling and performance, inspired by a new community mural being created with Hull College. Young participants will develop original performance pieces responding to local history and lived experience.

Working with professional artists, young people will collect stories from older residents, build confidence and creative skills, and take part in a live performance at the mural’s public unveiling. The project aims to reduce barriers to accessing the arts, strengthen intergenerational connections and create lasting creative pathways for young people.

Hull Truck Theatre

Hull Truck Theatre will create an inclusive performance opportunity for 10–15 young people to take part in its 2026 Christmas production of The Wind in the Willows. The project will embed participants within a professional theatre production, giving them the chance to rehearse and perform alongside Hull Truck’s artistic and technical teams in a high‑profile show seen by large audiences.

The project focuses on reaching young people who face barriers to accessing the arts, particularly those from areas of socio‑economic inequality. Through tailored support, professional experience and follow‑up mentoring, the project aims to build confidence, nurture creative talent and inspire young people to take their next steps towards creative careers.

Humber Theatre Tech CIC

Spotlight: Community Inclusion is a year‑long programme providing free, hands‑on technical theatre training for underrepresented young people in Hull. The project will introduce participants to backstage skills such as lighting, sound, set design, stage management and digital projection, removing financial barriers to accessing creative opportunities that are rarely available locally.

Delivered through accessible community venues, the programme will support up to 90 participants each year across three courses, culminating in live, youth‑produced community performances. By offering practical experience, professional insight and exposure to behind‑the‑scenes theatre careers, the project aims to build confidence, develop technical skills and create clearer pathways into creative education, employment and volunteering within Hull’s cultural sector.

She Productions

She Productions will deliver a series of drama workshops for young children from low‑income households who have limited access to the arts. Delivered in partnership with local libraries, community centres and children’s organisations, the workshops will introduce participants to theatre‑making through storytelling, character development and performance, offering many children their first creative theatre experience.

The workshops will directly inform She Productions’ 2026 Christmas show, with children’s ideas, words and characters woven into the script and songs. Participants will be credited as contributors and invited to rehearsals and performances as VIP guests with their families, helping to build confidence, inspire creativity and remove financial barriers to engaging with live theatre.

Welcome House

Welcome House will work with Falling Stars Theatre to deliver a series of drama workshops for refugee and asylum‑seeking young people in Hull. The project will use drama, storytelling and performance to help participants develop creative skills, build confidence and find safe, accessible ways to share their stories.

Led by experienced drama facilitators, the workshops will culminate in the creation of a short theatre piece that gives young refugees a platform to be seen and heard. The project aims to nurture creative expression, support wellbeing and belonging, and lay the groundwork for a larger community performance during Refugee Week, sharing lived experiences with local audiences.