Birmingham Opera Company has launched “Voices of the Future,” a new youth engagement program targeting Birmingham residents aged 16 to 24, with support from Big Give’s Small Charity Week match funding campaign.

The company has been selected by Big Give to receive match funding toward a £10,000 fundraising goal, meaning every donation made between June 22 and June 29 will be doubled. The campaign opens at 12 p.m. on June 22 and closes at 5 p.m. on June 29.

“Voices of the Future” was developed in response to growing youth disengagement across the UK. A recent Young People and Work interim report found that nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment, or training nationally, with Birmingham seeing more than double the national average of young people on Universal Credit and seeking work. The program aims to address that gap through hands-on creative training and mentoring, with the goals of reducing isolation, building confidence, and developing transferable skills.

“There is a wealth of creative, talented young people in Birmingham who deserve to be celebrated,” said Richard Willacy, General Director of Birmingham Opera Company, per an official press release. “With the support of Big Give, Voices of the Future will kick off with a series of summer activities, events, and training across the youth centres of the city.”

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