Drop in any time between Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00 until 18:00 and explore Kingston’s new creative space.
Our Box Cafe & Bar offers a variety of hot and cold drinks, as well as a relaxed and open atmosphere – whether you’re a freelancer looking for a new space to work, or simply wanting a catch up with friends.
Take in the surroundings of Kingston’s historical artefacts as you explore our new creative space. With plenty of events and exhibitions coming up on our What’s On page, there will always be something exciting for you to discover on each visit.
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:
Presented by heritage researcher Jarek Zaba, this podcast series will feature a wide range of voices that AMP Kingston has heard from, whether it’s our interviewees reminiscing about Kingston’s music past, artists helping to deliver our exciting programme of public events, or our enthusiastic volunteers who are supporting us across the full range of our work.
Jarek sits down with AMP Project Manager Archie O’Neill to talk about the UPCYCLE event which took place at Creative Youth’s FUSEBOX space in June 2023.
Curated by Archie and AMP Trainee Project Manager Chiyana Ankhrah, UPCYCLE featured artistic installations, creative workshops and musical performances. Artistic interpretations used AMP’s heritage research as its basis, ‘upcycling’ it into contemporary messages of sustainability.
Listen to the episode onSpotifyvia the link below or by clicking here to view on our YouTube Channel.
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AMPLIFY is brought to you by Creative Youth with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
About Creative Youth Charity: Creative Youth aims to enable young people to realise their potential through the arts. We believe every young person has a right to access the arts and creativity and should be encouraged to take initiatives, risks and push boundaries in a safe, inclusive environment. creativeyouthcharity.org
Each year, the FUSE International Awards recognise and celebrate the amazing companies and performances who have excelled and captivated their audiences with their work.
We would like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful companies and performers who have brought Kingston to life this summer. From theatre, music, cabaret, dance to visual arts and comedy, there has been something for everyone across the town during the festival.
A wide variety of awards celebrate all facets of our multi-arts programme, with each individual show/performance being reviewed by one of our team members.
All companies who win an award win a free registration to take part in FUSE International 2024 the following year.
2023 Award Winners
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s award winners:
Best Dance Performance
I CAN DANCE
Best Children & Families Performance
ARCO Junior – WAYTCO
Best Ensemble Performance
The Ordinariness of Her – CAPA College/ Momentum Theatre
Best Fringe Performance
Oubliette – Barking Hearts Theatre
Friction Burn – Precipice Theatre
Genderfluid Babe Manifesto – Lu Greco
My Dad Wears A Dress – Maria Telnikoff
The Western Australia Youth Theatre Company has a history of producing award-winning shows that provide actors with professional experiences, developed theatre skills and life capabilities.
We are so excited to be welcoming this heartwarming and comedic theatre to Kingston, attracting audiences of all ages with two versions of the show that delve into Adam’s life as a self described autistic individual.
ARCO Senior offers a heartfelt exploration of a young man’s struggles to connect with others, while ARCO Junior introduces Adam and his fish friend Finbar in a comical take on understanding life with autism. ARCO Junior is suited to 7-14 year olds. For more information, take a look at our ARCO flyer.
So You Wanna Change the Arts is a programme that provides professional and practice based learning opportunities in the form of webinars, physical workshops and advice. These sessions explore topical industry issues alongside practical advice sessions for and by young people. We welcome panelists from various sectors and art-forms to share advice and insights for those at the start of their creative journeys.
So You Wanna Change the Arts is part of Creative Youth’s wider Creative Talent Programme which offers artistic, strategic and business support to young emerging artists. Leading many of the workshops for this years programme is our new 2023 Young Creatives cohort. Young Creatives is a panel of emerging talent, from 16–26 years old, who generate new ideas and plans for the charity.
Creative Youth is run by young people, for young people, which is exactly how we run this programme. Coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines, these Young Creatives have devised engaging and informative workshops/ webinars – aimed at those beginning their career in the arts.
Explore our e-leaflet to find out more about the different workshops and events available.
So You Wanna Change The Arts is generously supported by Arts Council England.
Making the announcement Robin Hutchinson MBE, Chair of the Trustees, said “We owe an enormous thanks to Louise who has been a brilliant CEO and leader of Creative Youth. She has overseen so many great initiatives for the charity and steered it through the enormously challenging times of Covid and onto new successes. Her work has been driven by a passion to ensure that young people’s ideas and voices fuel and direct our work. Louise is stepping away from the CEO role but remains with the charity to help focus on our fundraising efforts. Everyone involved with the organisation would like to thank her for her work.”
Creative Youth is excited to announce that Louise’s leadership role will be taken up by two young people with several years involvement with the charity between them. Archie O’Neill & Daniel Cartlidge will take up roles as Co-Directors from September. Louise will continue to support the new leaders in a part time role focused on fundraising.
Robin Hutchinson MBE said “The trustees have decided to keep faith with our driving mission to support young people in the arts by appointing two young practitioners to lead the Creative Youth and oversee the next stages in the charity’s growth.”
Outgoing CEO Louise Coles said “It has been the most fabulous and exciting journey to be at the helm of Creative Youth over the last few years – to see it develop and grow from a project-based organisation to a year-round one with the addition of our new creative space FUSEBOX – despite the challenges of Covid, Brexit and current economic conditions. Our young people are taking a greater role in running the charity with a board of 15 Young Creatives – and now two young leaders will take over my role from the beginning of September as Co-Directors.”.
Incoming leaders Archie O’Neill & Daniel Cartlidge said “We are both incredibly excited to be supporting Creative Youth through one of the most exciting chapters in our history. By working closely together, we hope to champion more young people than ever to make use of the spaces, programmes and opportunities provided by Creative Youth.”
Daniel Cartlidge is moving into the Co-Director role from his position as General Manager at Creative Youth. He has a passion for exploring and highlighting underrepresented identities on stage and supporting emerging artists within the industry. Daniel trained at both the University of Leeds and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, where he received a BA (Hons) in History and a MA in Creative Producing.
Co-Director Archie O’Neill is currently Community & Participation Manager at Creative Youth. His role involves collaborating with community groups, schools & colleges, youth services and artists from underserved backgrounds. Having previously studied at King’s College London and the Courtauld Institute, Archie has worked at museums and galleries such as The British Museum, The National Gallery, Tate and Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Presented by heritage researcher Jarek Zaba, this podcast series will feature a wide range of voices that AMP Kingston has heard from, whether it’s our interviewees reminiscing about Kingston’s music past, artists helping to deliver our exciting programme of public events, or our enthusiastic volunteers who are supporting us across the full range of our work.
In our opening episode we focus on Bowie and Beyond, a newly launched exhibition at Kingston Museum from AMP Kingston in partnership with The Community Brain. Bowie and Beyond explores the night in February 1972 when Ziggy Stardust was launched at a roadside pub in Tolworth called the Toby Jug.
Joining Jarek is AMP Heritage Collective volunteer Lottie Gomes, who shares a range of clips she gathered from attendees at the exhibition launch night – from locals who attended the gig to authors who have since explored it, via a Kingston University professor who spent a year of his life living as David Bowie.
For volunteering opportunities email Archie by clicking here.
Presenter: Jarek Zaba with Lottie Gomes Editing and mixing: Jarek Zaba Production assistant: Lottie Gomes Music: Mariia Yaremak Artwork: Courtney Ellis Special thanks: The National Lottery Heritage Fund
After the huge success of our FUSE Film event as part of last year’s festival we could not wait to showcase more films this year with our glittering FUSE Film showcase and awards.
FUSE Film focuses on celebrating the work of young film makers and sharing the creative talents of incredible emerging casts and crews.
This year we will be screening all of our shortlisted films and awarding our winners in the following categories:
Best Short Film
Best Miniature Film
Best International Film
You can reserve your tickets for our screening and view the official shortlist by clicking here.
Kicking things off on Friday 30 June (20:30) is Lu Greco with their incredible fringe piece Gender Fluid Babe Manifesto, a piece about a trans person killing their internal demons from their root. Set in the context of being brought up in Argentina in the 90s, and told through act, spoken word, dance, drag and visuals. Find out more
Following on Saturday 1 July (20:30) is Guilherme Cosme’s – Perspehone and the Ghost Brother. A dark and immersive visual music experience which explores themes of mental health, sexuality and religious brainwashing. His homonymous album, released in 2022, is a meditative collection of tunes which finds the singer diving deep into his own battle with mental illness. Find out more
Get involved on Sunday 2 July (12:30 & 14:30) with Amy Sze Production’s perfomative workshop, Be Right Back. All about migration and diaspora, the workshop uses playful storytelling through scaled 3D-printed miniatures, maps and interactive modelmaking. As an all-migrant creative team from Hong Kong, the collective encourages the participants to share their experience and ask: How can we build a community together and share our common experience of being an immigrant in Europe?Find out more
Gender Fluid Babe Manifesto
Persephone and the Ghost Brother
Be Right Back
Rounding off the first weekend of the festival at FUSEBOX is Qingyang Wang’s Journey of Whispering Dreams (Sunday 2 July 20:30). The solo performance is a blending-together of autobiographical fragments, poetic text, physical movement, dance, soundscapes and ancient Chinese cultural references, including an allusion to the classic play Peony Pavilion. Find out more
Our first July performance is ASHES from the National Academy of Theatre Arts in Cracow on Tuesday 4 July (20:30). While maintaining an intimate and private narrative, the show portrays a clear image of a family breakdown in the modern world. Inspired by a monologue from the TV series “Bojack Horseman”, the creators reinterpreted the well-known story, enriching it with private experiences and rewriting it in order to fit the reality we live in. Find out more
On Wednesday 5 July (20:30) we have BeBop Theatre bringing you A Grand Day Out. Ever wondered what would happen if you got your divorced parents back together again for a day? In this funny and intriguing performance, BóNJ is pulling in all their family favours and really hoping Gran keeps picking up the phone. It’ll be just like the old days…Right? Described as somewhere between the warmth and comfort of yer Gran’s homemade soup and ‘Marriage Story’ (2019), this is a playful show that’s not to be missed. Find out more
Ashes
A Grand Day Out
My Dad Wears A Dress
Next in the line up at FUSEBOX is Maria Telnikoff’s: My Dad Wears A Dress, on Thursday 6 July (20:30). In this one-woman show, Maria explores her own personal experience of growing up with a transfemale parent: the highs, the lows and the heels!
Filled with early ‘00s nostalgia, it’s a personal yet relatable show about growing up, difference and acceptance. Find out more
Finish your festival week laughing at our stand up comedy evenings, with perfomances on the 6 and 8 July (15:00) from Whole Lotta Comedy where the comedians of the future perform for you today. Young comedians who are already making their way on the UK comedy circuit join together to entertain you. Find out more
If that’s not enough, Best of Brighton Fringe: Comedy will be concluding our week on Saturday 8 July (20:30). Each year Creative Youth’s wonderful team of young people head to Brighton Fringe to judge the best theatre and stand-up comedy shows by performers under 27 at the festival. Be sure to catch this year’s choices and keep an eye on our website for the announcement of the winners making their way on the UK comedy circuit join together to entertain you. Find out more
