The story so far

A new species of creativity

Formed in 2003 from a combined background of 30 years of arts practice, development and education, Hybrid Arts is a social enterprise dedicated to creating opportunities for people.

Hybrid Arts apply artists within a dedicated space to open up creative opportunities that work within the school system, adult market and within a simulated work environment. We provide a chance for the community to experience first hand what life is like in a pioneering simulated studio environment within the creative industries.

Creative practice is integral to our success in designing compelling training opportunities, and we undertake research, development and production of creative projects that are as diverse as they are innovative. At Hybrid Arts people have access to studios equipped with industry-standard hardware and software, and sessions are delivered by professional artists.

We work by the ethos that people can be motivated by involvement in the creative technologies. These technologies are a fantastic medium for harnessing creative potential and providing people with the motivation and confidence to pursue their chosen path, whether that means pursuing education, employment in the creative industries, or something entirely different.

The Hybrid model is being recognised regionally, nationally and internationally. Our most documented work is our progressive activity with 14-19 year olds who are NEET (not engaged in mainstream education, employment or training). Close working with this challenging but often inspirational group of young people has helped to shape Hybrid Arts, and our experiences have resulted in Hybrid Arts being approached by government agencies from across Europe to be used as case studies to demonstrate best practice. One group in particular generated a great deal of attention from educators, MPs, young people, the local community and policy makers…please read our Taming of the Crew story thetamingofthecrew and tamingofthecrewchapter2.

Our promotion of alternative learning practises has placed us at the forefront of educational innovation, and our vision is in tune with the Government agendas for children, young people and digital inclusion. In 2008 we were visited by Liam Byrne MP, Minister for the West Midlands, who said: “You see a lot of things in this job, and you should be really proud of what you’ve done here. It’s one of the most extraordinary things I’ve seen since I became the Regional Minister.”

The winning combination of creativity and education has the capacity to broaden horizons and makes for an altogether unique experience.