Auto Italia’s Participation Programme supports the creative and professional development of young people aged 14–25 in Tower Hamlets and Newham, as well as students and early-career artists nationally. Rooted in long-term local partnerships and co-authorship, the programme is shaped by the voices, needs and experiences of people in our communities.

We offer free, accessible opportunities including mentoring, skills development, volunteering, work experience and artist commissions, supporting participants to build critical practices and sustainable pathways into the arts.

Co-design is at the core of our approach. We work collaboratively with participants to shape the programme, embedding their perspectives across Auto Italia’s wider cultural work.

Responding to shifting social, political and cultural conditions, the programme invites critical inquiry into how identity and community intersect with creative practice.