Supporting the next generation of artists and young creatives

Caerbladon has established a new young people's art studio, a place where local young people between the ages of 13 and 19 can develop their creative practice alongside others, in a supportive environment where resources such as printing facilities, art materials, and a computer with creative software will be provided. Young people have been able to access the studio on a drop-in basis, and through artist-led workshops in the school holidays.

We enabled the creation of a new annual zine, M:ZINE produced by young people in the Malmesbury area. M:ZINE provides a platform for sharing their creativity, interests, passions and ideas about making the lives of local people better. The first edition chose the theme of sustainability. Through the programme, and with initial support from Wiltshire Council Area Board, Warden and Freeman and Malmesbury Carnival, we set out to:

- offer new opportunities for young people to have a creative outlet in their community.

- develop skills in design, writing, photography for young people.

- foster a sense of pride in their local area amongst young people

As part of Engage’s (the National Association for Gallery Education) national programme, we run Let’s Create Art workshops for young people aged 13+ in the February half-term and in September 2025 we mounted a Young Artists’ Exhibition at the John Bowen Gallery featuring selected work from seven young people aged 13 – 16. The artwork was selected from submissions by local young people, and works by Chris Hills, Jess Waddell, Iona Carter, Lizzie Marriage, Rufus Lawton and Ellie Priest were on display.

We want to give young people the opportunity to lead, be change makers and be actively involved in work within the arts and creative sector.

Central to Caerbladon’s planning for the next two years is ensuring that there are multiple ladders of opportunity for young people, which develop their skills and give them responsibility beyond support roles. Since our inception, we have offered paid work experience for creative art students, as well as free access to the studio and involvement in creative projects. Latterly, we have created a new role of production assistant for Mareyam Smith, a recent graduate in Technical Arts for Performance at Wimbledon College of Art who has returned to her hometown and is keen to launch her career in the creative industries.

Through Caerbladon’s work, participants developed their social and creative skills, learnt about other cultures and gained confidence through making and performing. We have created volunteer and young apprentice opportunities offering experience of running workshops, installing exhibitions and stewarding events. Audiences have benefited by engaging with the arts of diverse cultures and through their interaction with the artists and other young participants.

The next stage of our place-based programme focuses on capacity building and empowering the next generation of change makers. With support from the Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation, we have extended Maryem Smith’s role as our young people’s project coordinator, leading creative workshops and activities for participants aged 13+, with the opportunity for them to display the work produced as part of the annual exhibition in the Town Hall. We have been able to offer the activities at low cost (£10 donation per session) and free to those who can’t afford to pay due to family circumstances.

Our summer 2026 series of workshops for 13 - 18 year olds is based on responding to the work of Mareyam Smith. As part of her degree Mareyam created a 1:12 scale Victorian house and a story following the lives of the occupiers and a mystery that unfolds. Each week the young participants have explored different artforms used in the production of the house and created their own work responding to the theme. The workshop explores character creation, storyboards, 3D modelling, printmaking and drawing in perspective.

Building on the success of Maryem’s work, we hope to secure funds to establish a cohort of five young people annually able to develop their leadership and project management skills and experience. In line with the model established by Artswork’s RISE Awards, our plan is that each will also receive a £500 production award to develop their own creative practice. Caerbladon’s core team and creative collaborators will provide professional development support and mentoring throughout, and the opportunity for the young people to work alongside commissioned artists and producers in delivering a programme co-created with community partners and local participants.