Last year Southampton announced its intention to become UK City of Culture 2025.

Now the bid team has launched the first opportunity for young people.

Our Time is a talent development programme which will support emerging young artists and creative talent in the city.

The initiative will offer young people the opportunity to be granted a bursary of £500 which will support their journey across the cultural and creative sector, through development and training opportunities.

This prize will be given to 10 young people to invest, develop and build creative capacity across the city’s young people in preparation for 2025 and beyond.

The launch of the initiative is supported by local rapper, artist and influencer Tyrone, whose experiences as a young person in Southampton have helped him to develop his own successful creative career.

He released a call to action film encouraging other local young talent and creatives to get involved and take this unique opportunity of support.

Claire Whitaker OBE, Southampton 2025 UK City of Culture Bid Director said, “Southampton’s children and young people are vital to our city’s future and central to our bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025.

"Our Time is designed to complement the work of a host of Southampton-based organisations committed to improving the opportunities for and skills of young people currently taking place across the City.

These include City Eye, Under-16 Development programme, The Agency Project, Mayflower Engage, Artswork, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, Fuzzy Lads and the work of the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership.

"The initiative also supports the City’s ambition to become a UNICEF child-friendly city."

She added: "As we develop our bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025, children and young people are not only shaping our bid, but also the future of their city.

"Southampton has a wealth of creative talent which Our Time gives us the opportunity to unlock in a new generation.

"We want to ensure Southampton is a place support its creative sector and becomes somewhere our talented young creative people want to base their careers.”

To apply you must be a young person aged 18 - 25 living or studying in Southampton. Your talent can represent all aspects of Southampton’s culture, so sport, music, food, performing, film, visual arts, dance, crafts.

The closing date for submissions is Monday 5th July.

The 10 winners will be announced on19th July. To apply for the Our Time £500 bursary applicants need to share why is it their time either by video, writing, audio or artwork.

This can be on their social media accounts with the #OurTimeSO25 or emailed to admin@city-eye.co.uk.

Video content should be no longer than 3 minute and can be emailed or shared by private/unlisted link or file transfer service.