Arts activities offer powerful ways to engage young people in discussing local issues, enable them to influence change, and encouraging them to take ownership and responsibility.  Loca runs creative programmes which get young people positively involved in initiatives happening in their communities and give them a 'language' with which to voice their views, ideas and needs.  Opportunities to work with professional artists also offer young people new skills and experiences leading to a sense of personal achievement, not to mention enjoyment and fun.     in Huddersfield young people were involved in influencing Queensgate II, a major town centre scheme to re-develop a shopping precinct, relocate the library and art gallery and improve the public realm.  Artists worked with school children and architecture students from Huddersfield University to develop ideas for the inclusion of public art within the scheme.     recent neighbourhood projects have got children and young people involved in designing decorative fencing panels, seating, entrance features and sculptures as part of streetscape, environmental, park and nature reserve improvement schemes. A significant new area of work was kick-started with funding from Children's Fund Kirklees in 2006 and was able to grow and develop in a number of Kirklees schools through further funding from the Primary Care Trust, NHS Kirklees.  On the strength of the successes of our Inside Me work – short creative projects and extended artists’ residencies working with targeted groups of children on emotional intelligence and emotional health & well-being – in 2010 Loca was commissioned through the PCT’s Targeted Mental Health in Schools programme and Creative Partnerships West Yorkshire to take similar work into more primary and secondary schools.  Cumulatively the work has generated an abundance of evidence of significant benefits for hundreds of children and young people, has provided valuable professional development opportunities for dozens of school staff, and has enabled us to develop a wealth of specialist expertise and a pool of highly experienced associate artists that we’re looking to build on for the future. Read about some of the impacts on our news page.