Art Pop-Up’s Youth Engagement Programme: Get Creative, Get Involved

After the successful youth programme we hosted from Dec 2023 – July 2024, Art Pop-Up have continued to keep the Wednesday night youth drop-in open every week.

In addition to the regular drop in sessions, in Autumn 2024 we held 2 awesome seasonal events: a spooky Halloween celebration and a cosy Bonfire Night gathering.

Halloween Highlights: Stamford Spooktacular and The Shack Party

We started the season by decorating the fence outside The Shack for the Stamford Spooktacular, adding our own a festive flair to the community event. Our Halloween party itself was full of fun and laughter, offering something for everyone to enjoy:

• Apple Bobbing: A traditional favourite that had everyone diving in with excitement.
• Sack Racing: A hilariously competitive activity that kept the energy high.
• Pumpkin Carving: Attendees showcased their creativity with a variety of spooky and artistic designs.
• Doughnut on a String Game: A light-hearted and messy game that was a big hit.
• Spooky Music and Treats: With a playlist of eerie tunes and delicious snacks courtesy of George’s Food Hub, the party atmosphere was awesome!

The Shack was alive with costumes, laughter, and community spirit, making it a great Halloween at the Shack to remember.

Bonfire Night Bonanza: Fireside Fun and Festive Treats

Our Bonfire Night celebration was a cosy and heartwarming event. The evening revolved around the fire, with activities that brought everyone together under the autumn sky:

• Marshmallow Roasting and S’mores: Thanks to a generous donation from Morrisons in Stamford, we had everything needed for the perfect s’mores setup, including wood for the fire, giant marshmallows, biscuits, and skewers. Rose guided everyone in roasting marshmallows to golden perfection, creating gooey, delicious treats.
• Mulled Apple Juice: Sam, with some helping hands, prepared warm, spiced apple juice that was the perfect drink for the chilly evening.
• Sparklers: Sparklers lit up the night as attendees added their sparkle to the celebration.
• A Roaring Fire and Good Company: The bonfire became the heart of the event, offering warmth, stories, and a place to connect.

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Thank You to Our Supporters

We extend a heartfelt thank you to Morrisons in Stamford for their generous contributions to our Bonfire Night. Their donation of wood, marshmallows, biscuits, and skewers helped make the event truly special. A big thank you as well to George’s Food Hub for the delicious snacks provided at our Halloween party.

Your support means so much to us and to everyone who participated!

Looking Ahead: Help Keep The Shack Open!

These seasonal celebrations highlighted the magic of bringing people together, and they wouldn’t have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of our amazing community. As we plan more events for the future, we also want to ensure that The Shack Drop-In continues to provide a safe and welcoming space for young people aged 13-19.

The Shack Drop-In is open every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, offering a place for young people to hang out, connect, and get involved in fun and creative activities. To keep this vital space running, we need your help!

If you’d like to support The Shack and help us continue providing opportunities like these for local youth, we welcome donations of any size. Your generosity will go directly toward maintaining this important community resource.

How You Can Help:

• Make a financial donation to support operational costs and activities.
• Donate supplies like art materials, games, or snacks.
• Spread the word about The Shack to others who may want to help.

Every contribution makes a difference and helps us create a space where young people can thrive. To donate or find out more about how you can support The Shack, please contact us through our Facebook page or email community@artpopup.co.uk.

Thank you for helping us make a difference. Together, we can ensure The Shack remains a space for creativity, connection, and fun for years to come!

OUR 2024 YOUTH PROGRAMME

2024 Youth Programme: “Get Creative, Get Involved”

This project was funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and aimed to inspire creativity, skill development, and community engagement among young people. Through a diverse range of workshops, drop-in sessions, cultural events, and hands-on creative experiences, the programme encouraged participation, learning, and collaboration.

All activities were free to attend, though some events required tickets due to limited spaces.

Weekly Wednesday evening drop-in sessions

These sessions included a programme of organised activities twice a month, alternating with discussions led by commissioned professional youth workers on topics such as drugs, careers, and aspirations, alongside talks from volunteer guest speakers.

The sessions were youth-led, shaped by the requests of the young people who took part in the successful summer 2023 consultation initiative, which hosted weekly sessions at The Shack.

Snacks and refreshments were kindly donated each week by George’s Food Hub.

The drop-in was one of the most important and popular parts of the youth programme, providing a safe, supportive, and social space for young people to gather, connect, and unwind. For many, it became a vital part of their weekly routine, offering a place to talk, share experiences, and build friendships in a relaxed, non-judgmental environment.

The Shack had been used in the past for this purpose, and some of the young people remembered it, which helped create a sense of continuity and familiarity. The space allowed them to feel ownership over the sessions, encouraging participation and making it a trusted setting where they could express themselves freely.

Throughout the programme, around 70 young people attended the drop-in sessions, demonstrating the strong demand for a dedicated space where they could engage, socialise, and feel supported. As the sessions grew in popularity, it became clear that a wider age range brought different needs and dynamics. To ensure that all attendees had the best experience, the session was split into two age groups, with 13 to 16-year-olds attending the earlier part of the evening and 16 to 19-year-olds attending the later period.

Beyond just a meeting place, the drop-in fostered a strong sense of community, giving young people a space where they felt heard, valued, and supported.

Young persons’ skills development Masterclasses  

The programme included a series of monthly masterclasses led by creative practitioners, teaching practical life skills, traditional crafts, and creative techniques. These workshops encouraged problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork while providing young people with the opportunity to develop new skills.

The masterclasses were initially hosted at the Stamford Arts Centre, where two sessions were held before the programme moved to Stamford Welland Academy as an after-school session to focus on the Make and Sell project.

• Amanda Rigby led a session introducing the concept of Augmented Reality in artwork, exploring how digital layers can enhance physical artwork.

• UH OH, an artist and mural painter, led a workshop on upscaling artwork for murals, teaching young people how to scale their designs for larger pieces.

The sessions then shifted focus to a wider project, where young people developed creative products to sell at a public event, giving them hands-on experience in planning, making, and entrepreneurship. These workshops took place at Stamford Welland Academy:

• Amanda Rigby led a sticker workshop, where participants learned how to digitise their artwork for print and created their own sticker designs to contribute to the event.

• Sew Sydney, a local artist and designer, led an upcycling workshop, teaching basic sewing skills and material patch-making. Participants learned how to repurpose textiles, adding unique, creative details to clothing and fabric pieces.

• Charley Genever, a producer and poet, delivered a session on event planning, guiding young people through the process of organising and managing their own stall for the Make and Sell event. This session supported them in preparing their creative work for public sale, helping them consider branding, pricing, and customer engagement.

These workshops provided young people with both creative and entrepreneurial skills, offering valuable real-world experience in making and selling their own work.

 

Young People’s cultural & creative events 

The youth programme also included a series of cultural and creative events designed to bring young people together in a social, engaging environment. These events provided opportunities to enjoy shared experiences, explore creative activities, and take part in meaningful discussions.

The January Blues Busting Movie Night was held at URC Hall in Stamford. Young people voted in advance to watch Black Panther, and the event created a lively and welcoming atmosphere. Hot dogs and popcorn were provided, adding to the cinema experience. Everyone who attended brought a gift to take part in the unwanted gift swap, donating something they had received for Christmas that they wanted to pass on or an item they no longer used but was still in good condition to be gifted to someone else. Many of the young people who attended this event went on to become regular attendees at the drop-in sessions at The Shack, showing the event’s success in encouraging continued engagement.

The Clothes Swish Event was held at The Shack as part of the youth drop-in sessions. The event encouraged sustainable fashion choices, with young people bringing in clothes to donate and swap. The response was enthusiastic, with attendees contributing a wide variety of items. The event was further supported by Bumps and Beyond, a local charity shop that generously donated a large bag of clothing, giving young people even more options to choose from. Alongside the clothes swap, Rose from Art Pop-Up provided airbrush tattoos, adding a fun and creative element to the event that was enjoyed by many of the young people.

These events not only provided entertainment but also reinforced themes of sustainability, community, and creativity, encouraging young people to engage in meaningful cultural activities while connecting with their peers.

Family creative/making events  

Make Space events have been running for a number of years through Art Pop-Up, so it was fantastic to continue hosting them with the support of this funding. Each session was themed to align with other activities in the youth programme and featured a mix of artist-led workshops and drop-in creative stations, allowing participants to explore different techniques at their own pace.

The Make Space sessions were half-termly Sunday afternoon workshops designed to bring families together to explore creativity through hands-on making activities. These events built on the success of the Arts Council-funded Make Space programme and provided a welcoming space for families to create, experiment, and learn together.

The December Make Space focused on Christmas wreath-making and has been very popular in previous years. This event proved to be just as good, with 60 participants attending to create their own festive wreaths. Burghley House and Gardens generously donated all the foliage and natural materials, helping to make the event possible. Having This was the first event we hosted as part of this funding, and was a fantastic way to start the programme.

Adding to the magic of the event, Santa made a special visit, greeting families and spreading festive cheer. In the second hour, participants had the opportunity to make a variety of festive decorations, adding even more creativity to the session.

The January Make Space welcomed artist Ann Bellamy, who guided participants in creating tissue paper window decorations. These beautiful, light-catching pieces were designed to be hung in windows as part of the lead-up to the Art Walk event and exhibition in February. This session encouraged families to engage with the wider programme and contribute to the town-wide celebration of art.

The March Make Space featured artist UH OH, who led a draw-along session where participants created funny-faced ice creams in his unique illustration style. He stayed on to host a doodling table, giving families the chance to experiment freely with sketching and creativity. This session was designed to lead up to the Street Art event in April, encouraging young people and families to engage with urban illustration and playful artistic expression.

The June Make Space invited artist Kathryn Parsons to lead a clay pinch pot session, teaching participants about clay sculpting techniques. This summer-themed session introduced families to working with clay while exploring different hand-building methods. In the second hour, participants took part in a variety of summer-inspired crafts, adding a seasonal creative touch to the event.

These sessions encouraged creativity across generations, allowing families to share artistic experiences while learning new skills in a relaxed and supportive environment. The blend of guided instruction and open-ended exploration made each event accessible and enjoyable for all ages.

ART Walk outdoor exhibition & trail

The ART Walk event was a town-centre exhibition and trail designed to showcase artwork created by young people and the wider local artist community. This initiative provided an opportunity for participants to engage in public art-making, contributing their own creative work to be displayed across Stamford. The event celebrated creativity while encouraging exploration and interaction with artwork in outdoor spaces.

A total of 60 artworks were printed and displayed in the town centre as part of the trail, alongside three commissioned Augmented Reality pieces created by artists Amanda Rigby, Lee Mason, and Jason Duckmanton. These artists brought their expertise in digital and contemporary art to the project, adding an interactive element that allowed participants to experience their work in new and exciting ways.

To support community involvement, two free community workshops were hosted by artist Rose Croft at URC Hall and Stamford Library. These sessions gave participants the opportunity to experiment with different art techniques and create bold, eye-catching designs for the trail. In addition to the community workshops, Rose Croft also led two school-based workshops at Bluecoat School and St Augustine’s, where students created their own pieces for the exhibition.

The ART Walk trail ran from February 16 to 18 and stretched across Stamford town centre, from the top of the High Street all the way down to the Meadows, where many of the artworks were displayed along the railings. This setup allowed passersby to experience the exhibition as they moved through the town, engaging with the artwork in different locations and settings.

As part of the event, local artist and creative practitioner Darren Rawnsley led a storytelling performance and walk on February 17 during the exhibition. He created a story inspired by some of the artwork in the exhibition and performed it in installments as participants walked along the trail. This interactive storytelling experience brought an extra layer of engagement to the event, connecting the visual art with a live narrative and allowing the audience to experience the exhibition in a unique and immersive way.

After the exhibition in town, the artworks were relocated to Bluecoat School, where they are now displayed on the school’s railings outside the building, making the students’ work visible to the wider community and leaving a lasting creative legacy.

If you want to check out the art work outside bluecoat, why not try to see if you can do our scanvenger hunt while you’re at it?

Here is our Scavenger Hunt Colorung page!

Red Lion Square Paint Jam – Art Festival with live mural painting

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, Art Pop-Up hosted the Red Lion Square Paint Jam in Stamford’s Red Lion Square, transforming the area into a vibrant hub of urban art and community engagement. The event featured 12 professional artists creating live murals, offering attendees a unique opportunity to witness the artistic process firsthand. A live DJ provided music throughout the day, enhancing the lively atmosphere.

Street Art Workshops
As part of the event, a street art workshop was hosted in St John’s Church, allowing participants to try their hand at mural painting and experiment with different street art techniques under the guidance of experienced artists. This provided a valuable opportunity for aspiring creatives to explore urban art in an accessible and welcoming space.

Young Artists Taking the Stage
In addition to the 12 professional artists painting at the event, two young artists painted live for the first time, gaining hands-on experience in public mural work. Their participation was a significant milestone in their artistic journeys, giving them the chance to work alongside established street artists and contribute their own creative vision to the festival.

Community Impact
The Red Lion Square Paint Jam attracted just under 1,500 attendees throughout the day, making it one of Art Pop-Up’s most well-attended events. The festival created an engaging and interactive space for people of all ages to experience street art, connect with artists, and take part in creative activities.

The event was part of Art Pop-Up’s 2024 Youth Programme and was funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with South Kesteven District Council. The festival celebrated artistic expression, community engagement, and the importance of making street art accessible to all.