Youth arts programmes give young people access to different kinds of art skills, social networks and professional standard opportunities. This article explores a typology of youth arts from across five programmes in Denmark and England, examining through observations and interviews with staff and young people what kind of arts practices are centered within the programmes. Our categories incorporate programmes that are art skills focused, event-oriented, entrepreneurial, and open access. We recognize that the intentions and outcomes of youth arts programmes are not always as clearly defined as these categories. Yet we argue that there are dilemmas inherited with each category that can cause youth arts programmes to become diluted, fail to achieve stated aims and negatively affect the young person's experience. We offer a typology that characterizes the motivations and approaches of youth arts programmes, as well as the core potentials and dilemmas they involve, thereby sharing useful insights to the on-going development of current programmes as well as the formation of future programmes.