Putting millions of pounds aside to promote culture in a city with its fair share of crime and housing problems is ambitious to say the least but the Mayor of London insists it is a vital way of keeping youths off the streets.

Through the Borough of Culture scheme Sadiq Khan aims to “democratise culture”, offering all Londoners the chance to experience the city’s rich heritage.

Hundreds of community groups, charities and schools across Waltham Forest are set to benefit from £1.35 million in funding after it was named London’s first Borough of Culture on Tuesday.

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Speaking to the Guardian after the awards ceremony at City Hall, Mr Khan said “we should be investing in prevention” when it comes to youths being drawn into violence and stressed that he “loved” Waltham Forest’s vision to bring young people to the centre of its cultural activities.

Earlier this month the Mayor announced an extra £1 million to be split between the winning boroughs for 2019 and 2020 for creative projects to attract youngsters from diverse backgrounds.

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He said he has spoken with artists and galleries across the UK who are excited to work with the Waltham Forest team to help bring their plans to fruition.

He said: “One of the great things is Waltham Forest will be attracting visitors… it will be really good for the Waltham Forest economy.

“One in six jobs in London are in creative industries and four in five people come to London because of our culture and arts.”

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He added: “There were so many good things about the Waltham Forest bid.”

Aspiring actors and actresses are just some of the young residents of the borough vying for a piece of the prize. Students and mentors at Walthamstow’s RAW Performing Arts Academy waited anxiously for the big news at Blackhorse Workshop and jumped for joy when the winner was announced.

The academy has been holding workshops in schools across the borough for the past 15 years, funded by donations, and is hoping to reach even more pupils thanks to a new cash injection. 

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Graham Bryan, artistic director of the academy which caters for toddlers up to adults, said: “Hopefully now we can go into more schools and offer our services free of charge for young people in the community.”

Oliver Buck, 20, of Leytonstone who has been training with the academy for 12 years, said: “It’s so much more than just drama workshops. I can call them when I’m heading to auditions and they will support me and mentor me.”

Jermaine Green hopes to follow in the footsteps of RAW past pupil Harris Dickinson who starred in the film Beach Rats.  The 16-year-old said: “It has prepared me for the professional world. It’s not just about learning to act, it’s about learning to work in a team.”

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Last July when Waltham Forest announced its bid for Borough of Culture, a team of specially-trained Young Advisors took to the streets and attended events and festivals to whip up public support for the Back the Bid campaign.

Advisor Danyal Hussain, 22, said: “It’s a chance for Waltham Forest at its peak to go even higher. The locals understand that Waltham Forest is up and coming and this borough has people from all walks of life and this will help bring people together.”

Kamahl Miller, 21, added: “It’s always been a diverse borough and we have celebrated that with things like the Mela and the Carnival for a very long time.”