Burberry Inspire hosts showcase of creativity with twelve Youth Zones

Last week, young people from across the OnSide Network had the fantastic opportunity to take part in the first Burberry Inspire Showcase.

The event, hosted by the Burberry Foundation at the Burberry Business Services office in Leeds, celebrated collaboration and creativity. Over 60 young people from twelve Youth Zones presented a project that they’ve been working on within the last year.

On arrival, members were welcomed with a talk about Burberry’s history of innovation before the main event – the talent showcase. From the unveiling of an arts mural and performance of a scene from ‘Oliver!’, to the demonstration of a Burberry Inspire Kit Car Project and the presentation of an anti-knife crime lifestyle apparel brand; the young people took the Burberry Inspire mission to new heights, using their creativity to inspire each other, amplify their voices, and drive change.

We’re proud to be part of Burberry Inspire, which is a global programme dedicated to providing safe spaces for young people to explore their creativity, develop new skills and, as a result, foster positive change in their lives and their communities. Spanning various fields from sports and the creative arts to STEM-related skills development, entrepreneurship and initiatives aimed at breaking down educational barriers, the programme aims to help young people grow their self-esteem and build critical life skills.

To further support this aim, young people were offered the opportunity to demonstrate their entrepreneurial skills in a Changemaker workshop. Groups were tasked with creating and presenting a launch campaign for a Burberry product. They were also encouraged to reflect on how they can be a changemaker in their community and to formalise this by writing a post-it note pledge for a changemaker wall.

Alongside support from Burberry volunteers at the showcase, the attendees were given a bespoke session on styling by Burberry client advisors, as well as insight into the range of career paths available in the luxury retail industry.

Rob Blomfield, Burberry VP, Head of Burberry Business Services in Leeds, and employee volunteer at the Burberry Inspire Showcase said:

‘It was so inspiring to see the young people come together to showcase the projects they’ve been working on, and to demonstrate the new skills and confidence that they’ve developed through the support of Burberry Inspire. I’m in awe of the talent and creativity that we witnessed and hope that we may see some of these young people return to Burberry as colleagues in the future.’

Our Chief Executive, Jamie Masraff said:

‘We loved being part of the Burberry Inspire Showcase! It was amazing to have over 80 young people dancing, singing, and showcasing their Burberry Inspire initiatives along to their own DJ soundtrack!  We are really grateful to The Burberry Foundation for empowering tens of thousands of young people across our Youth Zone network from Carlisle down to Croydon. We share a belief that by giving young people fun opportunities to amplify their voices and unlock their creativity, they can drive positive change in the world. We are really proud to be The Burberry Foundation’s UK partner, and part of a global initiative that puts young people first.’

For more information on Burberry Inspire, please click here