Create Your Future - creative careers are possible!
The folder designed especially for the CYF programme.
Create Your Future - creative careers are possible!
In Spring 2024 two Gloucestershire secondary schools took part in Create Your Future’ (CYF) a new personal and creative development for young people.
“CG was delighted to collaborate on CYF with our delivery partner Abi Nicol. From Day 1 we knew this project had the potential to unlock hope, connection and creative opportunity for young people - and critically that it could be scaled across the county if we designed it well by working out how to bring the best artists together with young people least likely to have this sort of opportunity.”
PIppa Jones, CG Founder and Director.
Create Gloucestershire provided the infrastructure lead for the project, which was devised and delivered by Abi Nicol, founder of Creative Communities, an arts organisation based in Cam & Dursley.
“Create Your Future (CYF) is designed to broker conversation around the opportunities and pathways leading into the Creative Sector. With less exposure to the arts in schools, it is becoming harder for young people to see role models or how to develop a career in the creative industries.”
Abi Nicol- Creative Community
You may recognise Abi’s name from previous blogs as she is one of Create Gloucestershire’s catalyst leadership alumni, from our first Transforming Leadership programme in 2020. (Catalyst brought together change-agents from different sectors and communities each who shared a commitment to make Gloucestershire a better, more creative and equal place to live and work. You can read more about catalyst here.)
Create Your Future grew out of Abi’s desire to give young people an opportunity to imagine a future working creatively. After completing the catalyst programme, Abi applied for a Breathing Space bursary from CG to provide the time to develop her company and bring this idea to life. She works alongside another Catalyst alumni, Debbie Brooks who has a new role in Rednock school to link students with creative activities in the local community.
The programme was co-developed with Abi around a shared commitment to:
Enable young peoples’ confidence, self-esteem, and aspiration to flourish.
Develop new creative and technical skills.
Inform young people of a range of creative career pathways and leisure opportunities available in their local community.
Broker links with training and higher education pathways in formal and informal education settings.
Connect with local community arts providers and broker work experience and engagement opportunities.
The programme featured inspirational workshops from professionals working in the creative industries. The workshops were wide ranging covering the work undertaken by a host of, mostly local, creatives. They included a:
Creative Director - who delivered workshops in prop and set design which involved quick problem solving around scale and materials.
Fine art painter - her journey as a painter and how to respond to an artist call out.
Ceramics artist - posed the question ‘what makes a good piece of public sculpture?’ Pupils then designed and made ceramic sculptures.
Costume designer - designing, cutting and making costumes for productions.
Producer - Managing venues and booking acts at festivals and working with communities to make their ideas happen.
Actor - who shared her journey from local amateur dramatics to professional actor.
Graphic Designer - the role of graphic design and experience of creating promotional materials and branding.
Make Up artist - from wigs and make up for the English National Opera to teaching make up as a degree course.
Funding
CG brokered funding for the CYF programme with two funders, Thirty Percy and the NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Mental Health Trailblazer programme. Trailblazer is a national programme which aims to improve early intervention and access to support in schools and colleges and promotes good mental health and wellbeing for all children and young people. As well as funding to support this programme, our funders contributed their expertise to align CYF with other programmes to support young peoples mental health and to grow equity of opportunity across the county. Their flexible and supportive approach enabled CYF to stay true to its purpose and allowed the time for co-production with young people.
Arts Award
In addition, both schools had the opportunity to compete an Arts Award certification as part of the programme. Each workshop had a corresponding Fact File, on the back with three simple questions that supported the Arts Award.
What did you do during the workshop?
What did you find out about this person
What did you enjoy about the session?
In total 89 pupils achieved their Arts Award Discover!
“Arts Award’s unique qualifications support children and young people to grow as artists and arts leaders, inspiring them to connect to and take part in the wider arts world. The flexible framework, which is endorsed by Arts Council England, develops creativity, leadership and communication skills.” Louise Bardgett, CG Arts Award Advisor
Find out more about Arts Award here.
Creating props
Designing and making ceramic sculptures
Working with scale
At Barnwood Park in Gloucester – a large secondary school - the programme was launched with a year group assembly and whole day of workshops for year 10, with afterschool sessions offered to years 9 & 10. At Forest High in Cinderford we worked in smaller groups with pupils from years 7, 8 and 9. The workshops were delivered in curriculum time through drama, linking into the school musical production of Matilda. This was a new venture for the school and the first time a musical had been produced in 8 years! The workshops included designing a costume for Ms Trunchbull or Miss Honey.
Designing a costume for Miss Trunchbull
Feedback: From the students
Word cloud of student responses
There was great engagement and personal interpretation, in all the classes and at the end of the course the students were asked why they took part and whether they would recommend it.
The overwhelming majority said Yes! with feedback like “Yes it was fun and creative”, “Yes it gave me insight into jobs”, “Yes, It has helped me think about pursuing a creative career”.
The week after the workshop on Media Make up and special effects - a student told Abi that her friends thought she was mad wanting to go to SGS College - but she had 'decided that I'm going to do Media Make Up and that's where I need to go!'
Feedback: From the teachers
We also had some great feedback from the teachers within the schools. Here is a flavour of their responses:
“It was just wonderful to see the students engage so well and see the different job opportunities open to them that link to the Arts.
I know it took some planning and the plans had to change several times but I think what you delivered was brilliant and something the students will remember for a very long time”.
“As a teacher, I learned new skills”
“It was accessible to all, and allowed an opportunity to explore different avenues and a good variety of artforms, when we are restricted in the curriculum”
Future plans
If you are interested in hearing how we got on (evaluation report and recommendations) or to find out our ideas how this might roll out to other schools in Gloucestershire, then get in touch with louise@creategloucestershire.co.uk
All images credited to Abi Nicol.