A huge thank you to all of wonderful supporters for coming to celebrate to launch of FUSEBOX on the 7th July 2023.
Robin Hutchinson, chair of Creative Youth, said: “FUSEBOX is quite simply a game changer for Creative Youth ensuring we can offer young creatives a dynamic, flexible and inspiring place. A home for them to develop their ideas, projects and partnerships. Even the pilot programme has shown that great things will emerge from this space and now we will be open full time, the opportunities just multiply.”
Incoming Co-Directors of the Charity, Archie O’Neill and Daniel Cartlidge, chatted to Time and Leisure Magazine about their hopes for the space and how FUSEBOX plans to make a positive impact on the local community.
Said Archie: “Creative Youth works across any art form you can think of – visual, performance, dance, video games and film. It’s really important for us to have this space. We’ve been somewhat behind closed doors during the pilot season while the facade was reconstructed. But we’ve had young people inside and experimenting with the space. This launch event is important for us to show what we have done so far, our plans for the future and making sure everyone feels included.”
They have been thrilled with the response to the pilot season. Said Daniel: “These last six months of testing have helped us to establish key partners and contacts with community groups and we have a broad range of people who want to use the space for multiple different reasons. We want to fill it with all kinds of art from all kinds of young people in the local area and surrounding boroughs. It’s about being able to delve in to community work and see what is happening in the youth clubs, the arts centres and drama groups and give those who don’t have performance venues or exhibition spaces a platform to showcase their work. We are really excited for the future.”
Kingston has so much to offer in terms of creativity and culture, says Archie. “When I came here and joined Creative Youth two years ago I was amazed to see how many young people there are creating and making things. A lot of that comes out of the university but also from the likes of a really dynamic youth service such as Achieving for Children, who are engaging young people on a regular basis through youth clubs, and with initiatives such as Anstee Bridge. The aim of FUSEBOX is to give young people a space they can fully take over as well as having the expertise from a team like ours who can support them in the next step of their careers.”
Archie added: “It is also a beautiful space and it’s important to showcase FUSEBOX as a heritage site, which is now open on a continuous year-round basis for the local community to see.”
FUSEBOX will be open to the general public from w/c 4th September on the following days:
- Wednesday (11am-6pm)
- Thursday (11am-6pm)
- Friday (11am-6pm)
- Saturday (11am-6pm)
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with us please feel free to contact us on fuseboxkingston@creativeyouthcharity.org
