Up the Youth Club

Up the Youth Club maps the shifting story of youth clubs in the UK and Northern Ireland, from factory workers in Victorian Boys' and Girls' clubs to renegade self-emancipatory spaces in the 1970s and the music-generating youth clubs of more recent decades.

The book traces youth clubs' mixed lineage in church evangelism, upper-class patronage, grassroots DIY, and erratic state funding, highlighting their role as an engine room for cultural production—from famous success stories like The Specials and Stormzy to untold stories of young people finding shelter and stimulation.

Warren argues that understanding youth clubs is essential to advocating for their protection, as their dwindling numbers due to austerity and funding cuts pose serious concerns for UK society.