BOLT Performing Arts is a city wide, registered not for profit black and ethnic minority led organisation. BOLT stands for Building Our Lives Together and has been established to work with disadvantaged black and minority ethnic communities across Greater Manchester. Working in some of the most deprived wards in the country, BOLT’s primary target groups are young people aged 12-25 and asylum seekers and refugees from African countries. Since being formally constituted in December 2002 BOLT has primarily worked from 86 Princess Street at the venue formerly known as The Granby now known as The Mumbo Community Arts Centre. During this time BOLT has worked with over 150 young people and over 40 refugees and asylum seekers.

BOLT provides a range of creative and performing arts activities including music development, visual art, film making as well as providing a venue for young people and refugees from the target communities to showcase their talents and exhibit their works. All of the services BOLT and the Mumbo Centre provide are free of charge. Both BOLT and the running of the Mumbo Centre are entirely dependent on grants from charitable trusts and local authority grant awarding bodies.

Our work has been recognised as invaluable by local authorities dealing with issues such as youth nuisance and anti social behaviour amongst young people from the Council’s key target wards. Indeed, according to police statistics, incidences of youth nuisance have decreased by 40% since we started our work in several of the wards. Many of the young people we are working with are on the margins of gang involvement and would, without our interventions, be drawn ever deeper into the gang and gun culture.

From the community, by the community, for the community

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