youth leadership
Creating pathways. Shaping futures.
Not every young person has equal access to education, training or employment.
Young females from low-income backgrounds face intersecting structural barriers to employment. Across the UK, 987,000 young people are not in education, employment of training.
Our Youth Leadership strand creates supportive, accessible routes for young females to discover their strengths, develop professional skills and explore future careers.
Through mentoring, practical experience and trauma-informed training, participants build confidence in professional settings, support younger dancers and take on meaningful responsibilities within their communities. For some, this pathway leads directly to qualifications and paid teaching opportunities.
What we deliver
Our Youth Leadership strand creates accessible pathways for young females to develop skills, gain practical experience and progress into leadership, training and employment.
1 — Dance Ambassadors and Teaching Assistants
An open-access leadership pathway where young females can put themselves forward without auditions or formal interviews. Participants support weekly dance sessions, develop teaching skills and receive mentoring in trauma-informed practice.
2 — Qualifications and Apprenticeships
We provide routes into Level 3 Community Sport and Health Officer qualifications, helping young females gain recognised training and prepare for careers in youth work, community engagement and creative facilitation.
3 — School Outreach and Volunteering
Through school projects, dedicated work with young carers and Duke of Edinburgh volunteering placements, we extend opportunities to young people who may face barriers to accessing traditional youth services.
4 — Project EVOLVE
We support female dancers to progress in Hip Hop and other non-traditional career pathways, creating greater visibility and opportunities for paid work in industries traditionally dominated by men.
5 — Progression into Employment
We create opportunities for young females to progress into paid roles within Project Female. To date, 75 young people have completed leadership training, and 4 of our 12 current sessional tutors are former company members who progressed through Dance Ambassadors into paid teaching roles.
Our impact
Our participant feedback highlights how leadership opportunities build skills, pride and confidence for the future.
"Being a Dance Ambassador made me feel good at something for the first time in a long time. It made me feel proud of what I can achieve and valuable in my community."
- Dance Ambassador