Actor Idris Elba’s foundation is supporting a UK initiative designed to help young people overcome barriers to entering the creative industries, with a £500,000 expansion set to provide free training opportunities to 400 additional participants. More than 100 young people had completed its first year, gaining experience in areas including DJing, theatre, visual arts, events and enterprise. Announced by the UK government in November 2025, the expansion aims to reach people aged 16 to 30, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented in the creative sector.
The programme, called Creative Futures, is delivered by The King’s Trust in partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation, founded by Idris and his wife Sabrina Elba.
More than 100 young people completed the first year
Creative Futures was launched in autumn 2024 with funding from the Elba Hope Foundation. On November 14, 2025, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced a £500,000 investment to expand the programme. The expansion is expected to provide free places to 400 additional young people aged between 16 and 30 across England. Before the expansion was announced, more than 100 young people had completed the programme’s first year. The government has set targets for the programme, including helping 75% of participants progress into employment, self-employment, education, training, apprenticeships, volunteering or other educational outcomes after completing it. It also aims for 90% of participants to report greater awareness of the creative sector and 90% to believe that the industry offers opportunities for people like them. Media and Sport, the country’s creative industries account for approximately 2.4 million jobs, with opportunities growing in cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, according to the Department for Culture. Creative Careers programme, which reaches more than 100,000 young people each year through employer encounters and work experience.
Announcing the expansion, Elba said the initiative was about creating pathways into industries that young people might not otherwise consider accessible. He also said that he and Sabrina were committed to expanding opportunities and helping participants build sustainable careers. The initiative was developed to help young people access opportunities in creative fields that can often be difficult to enter without professional connections, practical experience or specialist training. The programme is delivered by The King’s Trust, formerly known as The Prince’s Trust, in partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation. It offers hands-on training, professional mentoring and routes into employment, education and further training. The funding is being provided jointly by the UK government and the Elba Hope Foundation. The programme is intended to reach those who are not in education, employment or training, or are at risk of entering that situation, as well as people facing significant barriers to entering creative professions. The additional places will be available across Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, the South West and the South Coast. Participants received training in DJing, theatre, visual arts, events and enterprise, developing practical skills and gaining exposure to different areas of the creative sector. The programme aims to help participants build confidence, understand career opportunities and establish connections that can support their next steps. Its approach also recognises that creative careers extend beyond performing and artistic work to include areas such as production, event management and entrepreneurship. Creative Futures offers three pathways through The King’s Trust, allowing participants to access support based on their interests and career goals. Get Started is designed to help young people develop confidence and practical skills. Participants work with specialist creative organisations, collaborate in groups and receive personalised support. Get Into is a pre-employment programme delivered with employers and training providers. It helps participants gain industry-relevant skills and experience, with opportunities to progress into jobs. Enterprise supports young people interested in self-employment. It helps them explore business ideas, develop plans and take steps towards setting up their own ventures. Together, the pathways are intended to provide different routes into creative work rather than focusing exclusively on traditional employment. The initiative places particular emphasis on young people who are not in education, employment or training, those at risk of becoming NEET, and people from backgrounds underrepresented in the creative industries. The expansion comes as the UK government seeks to improve access to creative careers beyond London. Creative Futures also builds on the government’s Discover! By combining industry exposure with specialised training and mentoring, the initiative aims to help young people turn their creative interests into potential career opportunities. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.