Creative Programme

Since it was established in 2013, Young Bristol’s Creative Programme has delivered an impressive range of arts, music and media projects through Youth Clubs, Schools, Pupil Referral Units and other community venues. With a strong focus on the visual arts, the Creative Programme includes printmaking, photography, textiles, knitting, wood work and mural painting.

Young Bristol is an Arts Awards registered centre and delivers four out of five of the available Arts Awards Programmes. Arts Awards is managed in partnership with Trinity College London and Arts Council England, and gives children and young people the opportunity to grow their skills and confidence in any art form. We are also a registered centre for the AQA Unit Awards Scheme, which provides young people with the opportunity to have their non-academic achievements formally recognised.

Three recent projects from the Creative Programme include:

Silbury Celebration

Making Pals Intergenerational Project

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Silbury Celebration

In summer 2017, residents of Silbury Road and members of Ashton Vale Club for Young People spent some time getting to know each other and learning more about their local community. Each week the neighbours would have a go at different crafts such as hanging baskets, creating garlands for the party and making a solar powered wheelie bin soundsystem!

The project culminated in a big street party on Friday 17th August, which saw more than 50 local residents in attendance. This project was a pilot for new organisation Grassroot Communities who are hoping to fund further streets to get together and launch front garden competitions across Bristol.

Making Pals Intergenerational Project

Young people at Hartcliffe Club and residents at Bishopsmead Lodge Care Home in Bishopsworth, teamed up for a series of intergenerational day trips and meet-ups, as part of a ‘Making Pals’ project. The proect is led by Young Bristol and Bristol-based charity Alive.

Making Pals is a community engagement project that encourages care homes to find new ways to connect their residents with people and spaces outside of the home. Through the initiative, Bishopsmead Lodge residents have struck up warm friendships with young people from Hartcliffe Youth Club during day trips to Weston-super-Mare and Bristol Zoo. The young people are getting ready to run a creative Christmas Craft day at the residential home in a couple of weeks, and are keen to remain in touch with the residents.

Step Back In

The Ryklow Charitable Trust have funded an intensive creative programme for young people aged 13-15, who are currently taking part in the alternative learning provision at Broadplain & Riverside Youth Project. The intention is to re-engage young people and raise aspirations through creative workshops. The group have had workshops with local graffiti artists, designing and re-spraying bikes. They have also learnt about local arts organisation The Island (via a tour with the Studio Manager), where they met several working artists in the studios. The young people will also achieve a nationally recognised Arts Award qualification from the course.