Our participants increase their knowledge of the creative industries
we create opportunities for people
Engaging Family Focussed activities
Our (Co) Designers are valued
INSPIRING TEACHERS AND CO-EDUCATORS
“Across our 7 year journey with URBAN LEARNERS, the School has seen a 300% increase in our GCSE uptake across Art & Design Technology. Urban Learners have been a key component in this shift of our students and families recognising the opportunities and enjoyment that creative subjects can provide with the knowledge that there are tangible future prospects in the creative sectors and Design.”
URBAN LEARNERS Outcomes
we encourage observation and interpretation
Festivals celebrating culture and heritage
we explore and value our heritage
Participants increase skills and confidence
We raise awareness of sustainability and environmental principles
We work to represent communities
Research is at the heart of our work
SCHOOLS WE'VE WORKED WITH
COLA Highbury Grove ● COLA Highgate Hill ● COLA Islington ● COLA Shoreditch Park ● COLA Southwark ● Mulberry Academy Shoreditch ● Swanlea School ● Christ Church CofE Primary ● St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary ● St Monica's RC Primary ● Shoreditch Park Primary ● Aldgate Primary ● The City Academy Hackney ● Curwen Primary ● Lea Valley Academy ● Torriano ● Gateway Academy ● Furzedown ● Netley ● Franciscan ● Tooting ● COLA Highgate Hill ● Graveney ● COLA Southwark ● Copthall School ● Hammersmith Academy ● Burntwood School ● Harris Westminster Academy ● Westminster Academy ● Torriano ● Parliament Hill School ● Brecknock ● Regent High School ●Parliament Hill School ● COLA Islington ● Bobby Moore Academy ● Harris Academy: Chobham ● St Aloysius RC School ● Mulberry Green School ● Regent High School ● Stratford School Academy ● Rhyl Primary ● LaSWAP (ABS/ PHS) ● Regent High School ● Parliament Hill School ● Hampstead School ● Hammersmith Academy ● Stratford School Academy ● Harris Academy: Chobham ● Deptford Green School ● Acland Burghley School ● Westminster City School ● Rhyl Primary ● Hawley School ● Robert Cobden ● Eleanor Palmer School ● St George the Martyr CE Primary

IMPACT

We positively impact the access, skills and knowledge of architecture and creativity for children, young people and adults, especially those from diverse and/or under-represented communities. Our impact is as unique and nuanced as each individual.

IN NUMBERS

Children and
Young People

Engaged in creative learning, of which 75%+ are from underrepresented backgrounds

Schools and
Organisations

State schools participation repeated
over several years

Learning
Hours

Experienced by children and
young people

Volunteers and
Contributors

From a diverse range of
industries

Between 2018 – 2024: Why we report learning hours? We prioritise creating programmes where each child, young person or adult can participate in multiple workshops or touch points, enabling them to learn in different ways and both develop and apply their new-found knowledge.

Of every pound goes towards
improving access to creativity for
people and
communities

OBJECTIVES

CREATING LASTING CHANGE

One of our most impactful areas of work involves empowering young residents to shape their housing environments. Whether in social housing estates, new developments, or established neighbourhoods, young people often have the most insightful observations about what their communities actually need. Our programs enable them to work with housing providers, developers, and local authorities to ensure that new housing developments and estate improvements truly serve residents’ needs.

Young people learn to advocate for safe routes to school, community spaces that bring different generations together, and amenities that reflect their community’s character. Their involvement in housing design and estate planning processes ensures that developments create not just places to live, but communities where people want to build their lives.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT ACROSS COMMUNITIES

The impact of our community extends far beyond individual projects. Our aim is that young people who participate in our programs go on to become community leaders, advocates, and creative professionals who carry this participatory approach into their future careers. Some pursue architecture, planning, or policy work. Others become community organisers, teachers, or entrepreneurs. All carry with them the understanding that good development should serve the people who live with its consequences every day.

This creates a ripple effect across entire communities. When young people understand that they can influence their built environment, they become better neighbours, more engaged citizens, and thoughtful contributors to the spaces around them. Their families and friends witness this transformation, often becoming more invested in their own community’s development.

BUILDING MORE THAN PLACES: EMPOWERING PEOPLE

Our community understands that while we focus on creating better built environments, we’re fundamentally building something more important: confident, capable young people who believe in their power to improve their communities.

This isn’t just education—it’s a reimagining of how we create cities that work for everyone.

When young people understand how their built environment affects their opportunities, health, and happiness, they make all our communities—from new developments to established neighbourhoods—better places to live.

Their insights, dreams, and determination create more equitable, sustainable urban futures that benefit everyone.

ACCESS TO INSPIRATIONAL AND ASPIRATIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Our Mission is to provide children, young-people and communities, from all backgrounds, with a platform to contribute to their city through creative, cultural and aspirational learning experiences. We are especially passionate about working with those from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds / under-represented communities who usually don’t have the same access to creative activities and cultural spaces as their peers. We therefore engage with London state-schools and work with organisations with similar values (including local authorities, institutions and built environment professionals).

Equality Diversity and Inclusion is at the core of what we do. Our team, the young-people, communities and families we develop learning programmes for, and our volunteers are all from diverse backgrounds.

We believe that making creative and environmental industries more accessible through early learning awareness, encourages young-people from all backgrounds into creative industries. Only by encouraging all people (inclusion) will we make creative and built-environment professions more diverse and therefore more equal, and will our future cities be equitable and reflect the people they are designed for.

IMPROVED ACCESS AND KNOWLEDGE

Residents, schools, children, young people and families gain improved sense of ACCESS and connection to their City through increased KNOWLEDGE of the heritage, culture, history, art and architecture.

Our projects raise awareness of creative career pathways through meaningful engagement with professional Volunteers.

FOSTERING COMMUNITY COHESION AND VOICE

Families, children and young-people co-create, inclusive, participatory activities across all of our programmes. Our projects enrich local participants engagement with their City’s creative, heritage and cultural landscape, it creates space for their VIEWS to be shared in safe environments, and fosters community cohesion.

DEVELOPING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Participants develop creative and transferable SKILLS enhancing creative problem-solving, educational development, wellbeing and life skills.

OUTCOMES IN NUMBERS

of PARTICIPANTS

said workshops improved their SKILLS to COLLABORATE, COMMUNICATE, and to be CREATIVE

VOICE

of PARTICIPANTS

improved awareness of CREATIVE industry and BUILT ENVIRONMENT career pathways

KNOWLEDGE

of PARTICIPANTS

are from UNDER REPRESENTED backgrounds who benefitted from ACCESS to programmes

ACCESS

of PARTICIPANTS

EXPERIENCED new parts of their CITY that they hadn’t previously EXPLORED

ACCESS

INCREASE

In GCSE uptake across ART & DESIGN TECHNOLOGY since working with URBAN LEARNERS

_{Regent High School}

SKILLS

INCREASED

appreciation of local BUILT ENVIRONMENT HERITAGE and their CITY

KNOWLEDGE

URBAN LEARNERS OUTCOMES

Empowering communities through architecture, art and design learning. Urban Learners delivers transformative educational experiences through architecture, art, and design programmes that connect young people and communities with their built environment.

Our OUTCOMES strategy establishes four core pillars – KNOWLEDGE, ACCESS, SKILLS, and VOICE – that align with national TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) frameworks while reflecting Urban Learners’ unique mission to “CREATE, ASSEMBLE, CURATE, VOICES.”

Our approach centres on co-creation, assembly of diverse communities, and curation of meaningful learning experiences that amplify participant voices and create lasting social impact.

“Children need opportunities to develop creative and critical thinking skills and be aware of the world around them – not just what they receive from screens. Projects like this help children to organise, edit and present their ideas and provide them with the much needed fusion skills they will need when they start work.”
Head of Art, Aldgate Primary

★★★★★

“Across our 7 year journey with URBAN LEARNERS, the School has seen a 300% increase in our GCSE uptake across Art & Design Technology”
Charlie Welch, Regent High School

★★★★★

“The workshop really encouraged the students to come out of their comfort zone
to collaborate and work together”.
Art Teacher, City Academy Hackney

★★★★★

“Every project has enabled our students to problem solve, create and make clear links to careers in design and deepen this learning to further inspire our students as they considered their local environment”
Charlie Walsh, Regent High School

★★★★★

“Public spaces can be perceived as belonging to certain groups of people and children don’t always feature. Projects like this give the children vocation and ownership of the places they occupy and live in. More projects like this please!”
Head of Art, Aldgate Primary

★★★★★

“Venetia has made an outstanding contribution to the lives of our students at Stratford School Academy. Our Y10 Art students spend the first year of their GCSE working on Organic Architecture, which culminates in creating a sculptural piece. The impact our ongoing partnership will have on their learning is noticeable“
Alex Donohoe, Stratford School Academy

★★★★★

COLLABORATORS

We are strong believers in collaboration and learning from each other. We work closely with clients and partners, to fully understand each organisation, project and aspirations, in order to design and deliver the most effective programme, format or output.

CLIENTS and COLLABORATORS

Camden Highline, City of London, Grimshaw Foundation, Lacuna, Camden Primary Schools, Westminster City School, British Land, Graveney School, Rhyl Primary School, The Leadenhall Building, CC Land, The Gherkin, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Hiscox, Nuveen, Aviva, Leadenhall Market, 22 Bishopsgate, 70 St Mary Axe, 8 Bishopsgate, Aon, Make, RSHP, Fosters + Partners, SOM, PLP Architecture, Eva Rothschild, Sheppard Robson, Hawarth Tompkins, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Central St Martin (CSM), Ravensbourne University, The Bartlett School of Architecture, Here East, RIBApix, Twentieth Century Society, Historic England, The Concrete Centre, The Architecture Foundation, Royal College of Art, The Dulwich Picture Gallery, The Museum of Architecture, Assael Architects, Eric Parry Architects, HTA LLP, Ryder Architects, Karakusevic Carson, Fletcher Priest Architects, AHMM, Open City, Danielle Rhoda, Hannah Robinson.

GRANTS, FUNDERS, SUPPORTERS and PARTNERS

City of London, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Supported by Mayor of London, Camden Highline, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Home Grown Plus and countless individual supporters

IMPACT

IN NUMBERS

Children and Young People

Schools and Organisations

LearningHours

Volunteers andContributors

OBJECTIVES

OUTCOMES IN NUMBERS

URBAN LEARNERS OUTCOMES

COLLABORATORS

Children and
Young People

Schools and
Organisations

Learning
Hours

Volunteers and
Contributors