They Tryna Shut Us Down: Young Bloods Locked Outta Creative Game
Roundhouse report shows how lack of funds and spaces is killin' young Black talent dreams before they even start.

Aight, listen up. This Roundhouse report ain't just some dry stats, it's real life. They sayin' 87% of young folks feelin' disconnected from the creative arts. Translation? The system is designed to keep us out, especially us black and brown youth.
They talkin' 'bout risin' costs and lack of spaces. We talkin' 'bout gentrification pushin' us outta our neighborhoods, rent so high you gotta choose between eatin' and paintin'. These ain't accidents, fam. It's a calculated move to silence our voices and stifle our creativity.
The Roundhouse cryin' 'bout a £1.2 billion cut in youth service spendin'. That's BILLIONS, y'all! Money that coulda gone to community centers, art programs, studios. Instead, it's probly linin' the pockets of some rich cats who don't give a damn about our dreams.
London youth unemployment at 24.6%? Sh*t's outrageous! How we supposed to create when we hustlin' just to survive? Gotta put food on the table before we can drop bars or paint masterpieces. They keep us broke, they keep us quiet.
This cat Jack Rooke talkin' 'bout his 'nurturing spaces' disappearin'. Man, a lot of us never even HAD those spaces to begin with! We out here creatin' outta nothin', makin' somethin' outta nothin', but they still tryin' to hold us back.
One in eight feelin' shut out 'cause of their background? That's EVERY damn body in my crew. We ain't got the connections, the resources, the silver spoons. We gotta fight twice as hard just to get a foot in the door. And even then, they tryin' to slam it shut.
Alan Milburn's report on NEETs is just another way to label us as failures. But we ain't failin'! We're bein' failed by a system that's rigged against us. They wanna blame us for not workin', but they ain't creatin' no jobs in our communities.
Real talk, we gotta build our own sh*t. We gotta create our own spaces, support our own artists, and amplify our own voices. We can't wait for nobody to give us permission to shine. We gotta shine regardless.
Stop waitin' for handouts from the government or some bougie arts organization. We gotta hustle, network, and build our own platforms. Start a YouTube channel, drop a mixtape, organize a pop-up art show. We got the talent, we just gotta find the ways to get it out there.
And let's not forget about the power of community. Support your local artists, go to their shows, buy their art. Let 'em know they ain't alone. We gotta build each other up, 'cause ain't nobody else gonna do it for us.


