Most Significant Change story: Harrison, Young Curator

We’ve recently adopted a new approach to evaluating our Young People’s work, supported by our friends at Cambridge Junction.

We collect stories that focus on the personal experiences and reflections which have been significant to participants, artists and our team.

The approach we use is called Most Significant Change (MSC) – a participatory, story-based evaluation method that avoids leading questions to explore impacts and learning. The conversation is transcribed and co-edited with the MSC storyteller, producing a short story of their experience.

Here, we’re sharing Harrison’s story. Harrison was a Young Curator in our 2024-25 cohort.

Harrison first encountered the Young Curators programme while beginning to explore his own creative practice through DJing and attending performances, but felt the arts were inaccessible and ‘not made for him.’ Through sustained support, peer learning and hands-on experience, he developed confidence in interpreting work, articulating his ideas and engaging more deeply with Leeds’ cultural landscape. Being part of a group of young people from different backgrounds expanded his perspective and sense of belonging within the city’s creative community. Most significantly, the programme shifted his perception of what was possible for his future: he now sees a career in the arts as achievable, has been seeking out further opportunities, and feels empowered to contribute to and shape the cultural life of Leeds himself.

Full story

Harrison first heard about the Young Curators programme through a local creative platform that runs workshops and DIY events. At the time, he was beginning to explore his own creative practice, DJing and putting on small club events, while also attending performances through his cousin, a dancer. Although he felt drawn to the arts, he described it as a world that felt distant and difficult to access.

‘I was going to shows and thinking, this is really cool… but I didn’t know how to get into that world. I just saw myself as someone who watches.’

When he came across the Young Curators programme, he saw it as both an opportunity and a challenge. It offered a potential way in, without requiring a traditional route or prior experience.

‘I thought, maybe this is a way to step into the arts. I didn’t know if I could do it, but I wanted to try.’

From the outset, one of the most significant aspects of the experience was the sense of connection. Harrison described meeting a group of young people from across Leeds with shared interests as ‘amazing’, noting that many of those relationships have continued beyond the programme. What stood out in particular was the diversity of the group, and the opportunity to engage with a wide range of perspectives.

‘I think being around a group of different people from very different areas, from different backgrounds and experiences, was really beneficial when we were discussing things and sharing ideas.’

This created a new sense of belonging, not just within the group, but within the city’s creative community.

‘It was just really nice to meet people like that in Leeds. We’re all still friends now.’

The structure of the programme played a key role in his development. Rather than being immediately tasked with producing work, the early stages focused on learning, exploration and building confidence. For Harrison, who had not previously engaged deeply with contemporary performance, this was crucial.

‘At the start, I sometimes felt like things were over my head… like it wasn’t made for me. But those early sessions really helped me understand it and not feel that way anymore.’

Through workshops, guest speakers and independent research tasks, he began to develop both knowledge and confidence. Importantly to Harrison, many of these tasks were rooted in Leeds itself, encouraging young people to explore the city’s spaces, histories and cultural contexts.

‘I was looking into places like the Corn Exchange and finding out about the history of Leeds. I’ve lived here my whole life, but I’d never really explored it like that.’

This process helped Harrison to connect more deeply with the city, seeing it not just as a place he lives, but as a site of cultural possibility and inspiration.

‘It made me realise there’s so much here. It felt like I was discovering my own city in a different way.’

Alongside this, the programme created space for participants to explore their own responses to work, rather than feeling pressure to have the ‘right’ answer.

‘It became about how I felt. I got more confident saying what I thought and trusting that.’

This shift marked a significant change. Harrison described moving from feeling unsure and hesitant in discussions to being able to articulate his perspectives with confidence. He began to engage more critically with performance, moving beyond surface-level reactions.

‘Before, I felt like there was something more in what I was watching, but I wouldn’t be able to get it. Now I think, whatever I take from it, that is what matters.’

Experiences such as attending an international arts festival and watching performances collectively with the group deepened this development. Discussing work with peers exposed him to multiple interpretations and helped him recognise that there is no single ‘correct’ reading of a piece.

‘That was a big moment, realising people could see completely different things. It made me more open.’

Over time, this growing confidence culminated in a moment Harrison identified as a turning point. Attending a scratch performance night following the programme, he found himself interpreting and articulating ideas about a piece in a way he would not have been able to previously.

‘A year ago I would have just thought, what is this? But I came away with my own interpretation. I felt like I’d really progressed.’

Alongside this shift in confidence and critical thinking, the most significant change for Harrison was in how he saw his own future. Before the programme, a career in the arts felt unrealistic and inaccessible.

‘I liked the arts, but I didn’t see myself being part of it. I didn’t know how I’d even start.’

Through the programme, this perception changed fundamentally. Gaining insight into the sector, building networks and developing practical experience made a career in the arts feel achievable.

‘It made me feel like I could actually do this as a career… like this could be the start.’

This shift has already translated into action. Harrison has begun applying for roles and opportunities within the cultural sector, something he had not previously considered possible.

‘I’ve started applying for things. It’s made me want to pursue this properly.’

Crucially, the programme also challenged his assumptions about the need for formal qualifications or traditional pathways.

‘I thought I needed an arts degree to do this. Now I feel like I don’t need that. If I want to do something, I can start.’

Beyond career aspirations, Harrison described a broader impact on his day-to-day life. He now engages more actively with arts and culture, visiting galleries, reflecting on work and incorporating new ideas into his own creative practice.

‘I’m much more interested and open. I actually enjoy exploring things I wouldn’t have before.’

This has influenced his DJing and the club events that he puts on in Leeds, where he has begun experimenting with more interdisciplinary approaches, integrating visual elements through projection and considering bringing performance into the future events.

‘I’m now adding more elements that I talked about and used as a Young Curator at Transform, and applying that to my own stuff that I’ve been doing.’

Finally, Harrison emphasised the personal and social impact of the experience. He described increased confidence, new friendships and a greater sense of belonging within the cultural life of Leeds.

‘It’s made me a much happier person. I’ve gained friends, skills and confidence I never thought I’d have.’

Reflecting on why this change matters, he highlighted both individual and wider impact. For him, the programme has opened up new possibilities. For the city, he sees it as vital in enabling young people to shape its cultural future.

‘Leeds needs things like this. Young people need to know they can be part of it.’

‘It’s so important that like young people are given the opportunity to know that they can do these things. I now feel like I can be someone who makes things happen in the city I love.’

The most significant change for Harrison was a shift from seeing himself as an outsider to the arts, to feeling part of a creative community of young people, who are empowered to contribute to and shape the cultural life of Leeds.

‘It’s genuinely made me a much happier person. It’s given me some great friends, lots of new skills that I would never have had or never thought I could have, which has been really helpful, not only with my own events and my DJing, but just my actual daily life.’