About us
About Art-Alive Arts Trust
Art-Alive Arts Trust is a London arts charity that uses art workshops, mentoring and exhibitions to build confidence, life skills and routes into work or education for children with learning or behavioural difficulties and young adults who are homeless, unemployed or at risk of offending.
Our vision
Every young person discovers what they can do
A world where every young person, whatever their background or circumstances, discovers their potential and their place in society through art and creativity.
Our mission
A safe place to create
To give children, teenagers and vulnerable young adults a nurturing, inclusive space to explore and build their creative talent, through mentoring, varied art experiences and community work.
We aim to:
- Empower ExplorationEncourage curiosity, exploration, and experimentation across various art forms, nurturing individual creativity and self-expression.
- Foster InclusivityCreate a safe and supportive space that embraces diversity, promoting equal access and opportunities for all, regardless of their background or challenges they face.
- Facilitate Skill DevelopmentOffer comprehensive arts education and training, equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to pursue artistic endeavours.
- Promote Social IntegrationUse the universal language of art to bridge divides, foster empathy, and encourage collaboration, enabling our beneficiaries to find their place and voice within society.
- Cultivate ResilienceEmpower individuals to overcome obstacles, building resilience through artistic endeavours, enabling them to navigate challenges and thrive.
Through partnerships, advocacy, and dedicated programs, we strive to ignite a passion for creativity, instil a sense of purpose, and empower each individual to become confident, contributing members of society.
This vision and mission encapsulate the holistic approach of Art-Alive Arts Trust in utilizing arts and creativity as a tool for empowerment, personal development, and societal integration for children, adolescents, and young vulnerable adults.
What Art-Alive Arts Trust does
Art workshops and mentoring
We run painting, drawing and making sessions from our studio at Linen Hall on Regent Street, led by practising artists. Participants build creative skills alongside confidence, focus and the habits that help them return to education or work.
Outreach in prisons, schools and care settings
We take the arts to people who can't easily come to us, working with HM Prison Service, schools, colleges, care facilities and Approved Premises across Greater London. The aim is the same everywhere: a creative outlet, a sense of achievement and a first step towards something new.
Part 2 Play
Every quarter, past and present participants meet to talk about the challenges they face and what they want to do next. It keeps young people connected to the Trust after a project ends, so support doesn't stop when the workshop does.
Exhibitions and pop-up galleries
We show and sell work by our artists, from the Soho Arts Fair to a dedicated space on Carnaby Street in 2019 that involved more than 50 young creatives. In 2024/25 we ran two pop-up galleries, and in 2026 we're partnering with the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea.
Public art commissions
We're building a public art service for London boroughs, starting with our part in the Big Soho Clean Up. Commissions give young artists paid, visible work and bring new income into the charity.
What makes Art-Alive Arts Trust different
Nearly 30 years of work with young Londoners
Art-Alive was founded in 1997 and became a registered charity (no. 1088773) in 2001. We have kept going through funding cuts since 2019 and the pandemic, and still run from a studio in the heart of the West End.
Led by an artist, not an administrator
Our founder, Lanre Olagoke, is a working painter who was mentored by Sir Frank Bowling and Ben Enwonwu. In 2024 he was made an MBE for services to charity and young people.
We work with people other programmes miss
Many arts projects are aimed at schools and families. We also work with young adults in prison, on probation, in Approved Premises or at risk of homelessness, alongside partners including Centrepoint, London Probation and the Metropolitan Police.
We stay in touch after a project ends
Through Part 2 Play, participants can keep coming back every quarter for as long as they need. During lockdown, with support from Land Union Group, we kept more than 30 young creatives in a working space for over a year.
Run mostly by volunteers
Most of our team give their time for free, so donations go further. £5 a month from a supporter helps pay for materials and workshops, and a £30,000 unrestricted grant from Cayetana Hope Chest in 2024/25 went directly to supporting unemployed participants.
Who Art-Alive Arts Trust works with
- Primary school children with behavioural or learning difficulties
- Young adults who are unemployed and want a route back into education or work
- Young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including through our work with Centrepoint
- Young adults in the criminal justice system: in prison, on probation or living in Approved Premises
- Schools, colleges and care settings in Greater London looking for arts provision
- London boroughs and local organisations commissioning public art
The team behind Art-Alive Arts Trust
Lanre Olagoke MBE, Founder and Artistic Director
Lanre is a Nigerian-born British artist and self-taught painter. In the 1980s he was mentored by Sir Frank Bowling and worked in Ben Enwonwu's studio, and in 2024 he was made an MBE for services to charity and young people.
He founded Art-Alive in 1997 to help young people, from primary schools to prisons, get access to the arts. The Trust began with a studio in Soho and has since moved to Linen Hall on Regent Street.
For eight years our late patron, playwright and novelist Dr Bonnie Greer OBE, FRSL (1948–2026), mentored Lanre and our young artists, and led the Era of Reclamation project with the British Museum.
The Trust is governed by a volunteer board of trustees and run mostly by volunteers: tutors, facilitators, artists and a steering group.
- Deiana GrantChair of Trustees
- Simone OlagokeTrustee
- Janet AndersonTrustee and teacher
- Lanre Olagoke MBEFounder and Artistic Director
- Emeka OkezieProduct designer, volunteer
- Chioma AkameluArtist, volunteer
- Fatou RoseStylist, volunteer
- Jessica MeadePoet, support
Steering group, tutors and volunteers also include Dickson Akpabaro, Claudia Smith, Isabella Franks, Priscilla Acquah, Tomiwa Abiodun, Essie Carodan, Ore Adedeji, Antonia Hazlewood and Taylor Haughton-Kedo. Ayomide Christabel Sogunro and Jedidah Chionuma will soon join as trustees.
How Art-Alive Arts Trust works
Get in touch
Email info@artalive.org.uk or call +44 (0)7951 519282. We aim to reply within 24 hours.
Who you'll work with
Lanre Olagoke leads our projects, supported by our tutors, facilitators and volunteers.
For schools, prisons and partners
Email us about an outreach project or public art commission, and we'll plan the sessions with you.
For volunteers and trustees
Send your CV to info@artalive.org.uk. Roles working directly with young people need a DBS check.
For donors
Give £5 a month or a one-off gift by bank transfer, or email us to become a Friend of the Trust from £250 a year.
Where we are
Suite 319, Linen Hall, 162–168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TD.
Key facts
| Legal name | Art-Alive Arts Trust (AAAT) |
|---|---|
| Organisation type | Registered charity (England and Wales) |
| Charity number | 1088773 |
| Founded | 1997, by Lanre Olagoke |
| Registered as a charity | 5 October 2001 (established 28 August 2001) |
| What it does | Art workshops, mentoring, outreach, exhibitions and public art for young people facing disadvantage |
| Who it helps | Children with behavioural or learning difficulties; young adults who are homeless, unemployed or at risk of offending |
| Area served | Greater London and beyond |
| Founder and Artistic Director | Lanre Olagoke MBE |
| Chair of Trustees | Deiana Grant |
| Trustees | Deiana Grant, Simone Olagoke, Janet Anderson, Lanre Olagoke MBE |
| Recognition | Founder made an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours, for services to charity and young people |
| Partners | Centrepoint, London Probation, Metropolitan Police, Westminster City Council |
| Funders and supporters | The National Lottery Community Fund, The Crown Estate, Shaftesbury Plc, Westminster City Council, Cayetana Hope Chest |
| Address | Suite 319, Linen Hall, 162–168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TD |
| info@artalive.org.uk | |
| Phone | +44 (0)7951 519282 |
| Website | www.artalive.org.uk |
| @artalive1 | |
| Ways to support | £5 a month, one-off donations, Friends of the Trust (£250–£2,500 a year), volunteering |