Young artists unlock £790,000 for refugees and displaced communities worldwide

A global arts programme has turned student creativity into £790,000 of funding for organisations supporting refugees and displaced people.

Students Rebuild invites young people aged five to 25 to make art responding to an annual theme. For every piece submitted, the charity Creative Visions donates £4 to partner organisations, up to a £790,000 annual cap.

This year's theme, Unique United, explores identity and connection. Over 114,000 young participants created more than 90,000 pieces of work — including visual art, performances, films and quilts — unlocking the full funding amount.

The money supports organisations like UK-based Choose Love, which provides emergency aid and advocacy for refugees. Through the grant, Choose Love is expanding work with partners in Ukraine and Greece, creating safer spaces where displaced young people can learn, process trauma and make art.

One funded project is a new public artwork by Palestinian artist Malak Matar, shaped through conversations with young people in Greece and Ukraine about what it means to be both unique and united.

Each participating team can see exactly how much funding their work has generated, making the impact visible and showing students their voices matter beyond the classroom.