Arts activities are a powerful (and enjoyable) way to help young people ask for and influence change. Loca runs creative programmes which aim to offer young people new skills, a sense of personal achievement, the experience of working with professional artists, and a "language" with which to voice their views and needs.     young people on the Flexible Curriculum programme worked with a drama worker to devise a short performance that explored youth issues.     through photography, young people identified speeding traffic hazards around their estate and produced a series of postcards with a community safety message for house-to-house distribution.   lyric writing and music composition, visual arts and crafts activities around the theme of Identity enabled hard-to-reach young people to express feelings  about their lives and changes they would like to see.