About Next Level

The Charnwood Arts Next Level Programme is the overall name for our arts and media based projects and services created by, with and for 12 - 25 year olds.

Charnwood Arts Youth Arts programme began in 1977 and has been callled many things since then, most recently CYAN, Charnwood Youth Arts Network. This turned out to be a bit of a mouthful so..

The name 'Next Level' was suggested by Dan Turner for a successful project that we ran in 2002 called the 'Next Level Cafe', part of a wider arts and community programme carried out through that summer. In the autumn of 2003 Next Level became the chosen name for our overall youth programme. The programme includes the following elements:

Next Level Web Sites

Designed by Nuno, Kev and Stacy and built and powered through the cuttlefish.com web management system - www.nlevel.co.uk is an easy to use multi-media resource which offers young people a wide range of opportunities to post creative work and gain useful links and information. Following Charnwood Arts' philosophy of on-line/off-line arts and media work the site will reflect our growing face to face work with young people across Charnwood, the East Midlands and beyond. The site will also create a focal point to expand our crosscontinental work with young people around the world.

NL Media

Our project work with young people includes the development of digital works in the area of print, digital imaging, video, animation, sound production and computer games and includes CD-ROM, DVD, books and magazines, websites, exhibitions and performances. Capturing a small amount of this is a full time occupation. Some media projects are ongoing, others may range from a week to over three years in one case. This area includes the development of our on-line NL TV and NL Radio.

Next Level Cafe

This is a now the name of a specialist resource based in Loughborough which is designed to stand alone as a specific project working with young people 'at risk' as well as to dovetail with our main Next Level and other programmes. The 'Cafe' hosts a range of computers, arts activities, opportunities for sport (through our linked Sportslink Programme), film-making and other arts and media opportunities. It is aimed at 12-18 year olds.

Next Level Schools Projects

Name your art form and we've probably run a project or a programme in a school or youth club somewhere at some time. This has included working with national and international artists and organisations, work and exchanges overseas, taking over schools for a week at a time and regularly hosting young people through work experience programmes. Every year we organise a range of opportunities in schools throughout Charnwood and further afield.

Next Level Workshops

Charnwood Arts also runs short programmes or one off workhops to introduce people to different arts activities. Sometimes these are street and park based or through youth clubs, village halls and other venues.

Chai

Chai is the name dreamt up by Rita - (Charnwood Holistic Arts Initiative - Chai is much easier and is Indian for 'tea') for a two year initiative beginning in 2004 to run a drama based programme in the eastern part of Loughborough.

Next Level Projects and Initiatives

Recent projects have included mural, photography, dance and music projects across Charnwood including work in local villages. We hope to develop some larger scale projects over the next couple of years and are always open to ideas and getting together with others to make them happen.

Moving Together

This is the name for work that we do that particularly addresses issues or aims to help support a voice for young people. This is often in the form of medium to longer term projects and may be issue based, creative consultation or involving young people in projects which involve the whole community.

Where I Come From

This is the focal point for our international links and is predominatly an on-line project. We have links all over the world through placements, previous projects abroad, local travellers, on-line connections and other local contacts.

Where I Come From is an ongoing project to connect young people worldwide and celebrate the diversity of the world we live in.

Next Level Magazine

The Next Level Magazine is an ongoing project to create a good quality twice yearly magazine featuring creative work and articles written by young people in Charnwood.

Pineapster

Although not strictly a Next Level project Pineapster grew out of a highly successful partnership between Charnwood Arts, cuttlefish.com and the Left Legged Pineapple. This on-line music site grows from strength to strength and many bands now organise their own gigs and other events.

The whole Next Level Programme is managed under the Connecting Communities Partnership facilitated through Charnwood Arts.

Core funding for the above programmes comes from:

• Arts Council England, East Midlands
• Charnwood Borough Council
• Leicestershire County Council
• Positive Activities for Young People