Since 1996 aratrust has been providing activities for children and young people including performing arts, international youth and drama camps, seminars, discussions, visits to parks of historical or environmental importance, museums, art galleries, and now, virtual visits.

Over the last 10 years aratrust has worked with primary school children and their parents, building up term-time and then holiday visits and arts & crafts activities, celebrating community festivals, honouring leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and observing key dates such as Holocaust Memorial Day and the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

This group is called ‘Young Explorers’ as they are very keen to explore diverse histories and cultures and the natural environment. They also enjoy exploring diverse themes though arts & crafts. As ‘arts4REAL’, some of them have performed songs, poetry and dance and displayed art work in various venues during festivals or commemorations.

As the ‘Young Explorers’ have grown older and started attending secondary school we have set up ‘Young Activists’ for young people aged 11 – 17. They have been  very keen to help to plan and organise visits and arts & crafts workshops for the ‘Young Explorers’ but have also wanted to explore issues of importance to their own age group including safety, mental health, peer and commercial pressures, and  educational aspirations and careers. They are called ‘Young Activists’ as they aim to find solutions to issues in addition to identifying issues. They are also carrying out historical research into aspects of racism in our society.

Some of the ‘Young Activists’ became 18 years old at a time when a number of graduates approached us for work-experience to help them to gain employment or for volunteering placements to ‘give back’ to society. They formed a group called ‘Young Citizens’ to support the ‘Young Activists’ and help aratrust to support the community by contributing their skills and expertise to our charity. As well as supporting the ‘Young Activists’, the ‘Young Citizens’ work with Board Members and Trustees on a wide range of tasks to develop the charity and its services to the community.

Any young person or parent of a young child wishing to participate in our activities is very welcome to contact us at antiracistalliancetrust@gmail.com