Author Archive

Co-Directors lead Ideas Lab with Kingston University & Studio KT1

Posted on: March 17th, 2026 by cyEditor

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. The session was open, thoughtful, and full of honest conversations about what young creatives need from a space like FUSEBOX, and what’s currently missing.

Through a series of interactive discussions, students shared their experiences, challenges, and ambitions. From how spaces are used, to the kinds of opportunities that feel genuinely accessible and relevant, the feedback gave us real insight into how FUSEBOX can better support students and emerging artists.

What stood out most was the clarity and generosity of the ideas in the room. Students spoke about the importance of:

These conversations will directly inform how we develop and programme FUSEBOX moving forward. The Ideas Lab is part of our wider commitment to co-creation, ensuring that young people are not just participants, but active contributors in shaping the spaces and opportunities designed for them.

We’re grateful to Kingston University and Studio KT1 for collaborating with us, and to every student who gave their time, energy, and ideas.

Creative Youth participate at Envision Conference, Bradford

Posted on: February 19th, 2026 by cyEditor

Our Co-Directors Archie O’Neill and Daniel Cartlidge spoke their journeys with Creative Youth over the past five years and how organisations can support young people at every stage of involvement.

Our Young Creative Thea Melton also spoke about youth leadership and the importance of giving genuine, meaningful roles to young people in supportive environments so they can thrive and make real change.

Really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful young creative people and organisations, hearing about the initiatives that have been part of Bradford 2025, and the thought-provoking keynote from Ned Glasier.

Many actions to take away and build on both within the cultural industries and beyond as we try to build a future that is better connected and where young people are empowered to make the changes they want to see.

Applications Open for 2026 Community Residence at FUSEBOX

Posted on: February 13th, 2026 by cyEditor

What You Get

Selected residents will receive:

• A 12-month residency with free access to FUSEBOX for programme delivery (venue reopening and dates subject to availability).

• Support applying for £5,000 seed funding (no prior fundraising experience required).

• Tailored mentoring and training in fundraising, producing, community engagement, safeguarding, evaluation, and more.

• Access to Creative Youth’s local partner network and a dedicated mentor.

• Opportunities to deliver five events at FUSEBOX and beyond.

• Participation in FUSE International 2027.

• Discounts on Creative Youth tickets and at the BOX Bar & Café.

What You’ll Do

Your residency will focus on:

• Four community creative activities delivered across Kingston.

• A Final Showcase presented at FUSEBOX.

The programme runs in three phases: Development & Fundraising (May–Aug 2026), Activity Delivery (Aug–Dec 2026), and Final Showcase (Jan–Apr 2027).

How to Apply

Send the following by 5 pm on Friday 13 March 2026:

1) Organisation Summary – who you are and what you do (max 1 side A4)

2) Ideas Pitch – who you want to engage and what activity you’re proposing (max 2 sides A4)

You can also submit your pitch as a 3–5 min video or audio. Email applications to archie@creativeyouthcharity.org.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on Wednesday 18 March 2026, followed by a public vote.

Applications are open, find out more by viewing our Application Pack.

 

FUSEBOX Flood Update – Jan 2026

Posted on: January 29th, 2026 by cyEditor

During summer 2025, FUSEBOX experienced two significant flooding incidents caused by a blockage in the building above, which resulted in burst pipes and overflowing toilets.

Despite over seven months of work with our venue partners to assess the damage and plan for recovery, the venue unfortunately remains closed to all activity.

While we had initially hoped to reopen in autumn 2025, and later January 2026, the situation is still unresolved.

As a result, all commercial hires are on hold, and our programmes for communities and young people have been postponed, cancelled, or relocated. The loss of FUSEBOX has taken away the beating heart of our organisation – the space where our team, emerging artists, vulnerable communities, and partners come together to connect, create, and share. Without it, the creative engine that fuels our work has been displaced, and the opportunities it provided have been put on pause.

The loss of FUSEBOX for over 7 months is a severe blow to our small charity. The venue generates 61% of Creative Youth’s total income, had been rapidly building momentum since its 2023 launch, and was set to host over 100 creative, educational, and community activities during this period — from mindful art sessions for young people struggling with mental health, to local schools exploring heritage, to residencies for emerging artists, to a vibrant performing arts programme spotlighting underrepresented performers.

This continues to be a challenging time for our organisation, as FUSEBOX sits at the heart of our work supporting young people to access the arts, build confidence, and find community in Kingston. We remain fully committed to that mission and very much look forward to reopening in 2026.

How you can support us

Without urgent support, there is a real risk that FUSEBOX, along with all it brings to our community, will be lost.

If you’re able to support our reopening, please come along to our annual Gala Dinner fundraiser on 22 April 2026. Tickets are now on sale and every ticket makes such a difference to the charity.

Reflecting on 2025

Posted on: December 17th, 2025 by cyEditor

We began the year with a fantastic range of creative programmes, welcoming young people and the local community into our space to experience new artistic opportunities. FUSEBOX continued to grow, hosting new and returning clients for events and creative projects. Thank you to everyone who supported and used FUSEBOX from January to June – your engagement reflects the growing strength of our community, even against the challenging backdrop for the arts and charity sectors.

FUSEBOX Highlights

Our Spring programme brought FUSEBOX to life with events such as Bad Clowns & Good Friends, an evening with Thames Jazz Orchestra, and Kingston Undercurrents. Our Creative Talent Programme artists showcased their work through Oscar Rodrigues’ performance and Joshua Hester’s Well Books exhibition. We also partnered with Kingston First for the Kingston Light Trail, welcoming many local families.

Our exhibition programme flourished with Underworld, Moonlight, and Kingston Young Artist, providing platforms for emerging visual artists – several of whom went on to secure solo exhibitions. Our Young Creatives played a vital role in shaping these exhibitions, contributing at every stage of the process.

Major Flooding at FUSEBOX

As many of you are aware, this summer, FUSEBOX was hit by two severe soil-water floods -one in June, just before FUSE International, and another in July. The damage was significant, forcing us to close the venue and pause activities for over six months. We’ve been working closely with partners to plan the reopening and are hopeful to welcome you back in early 2026.

FUSE International 2025

From 28 June to 6 July, Kingston once again became a vibrant hub for global youth culture. Despite reduced staff and budgets, FUSE International delivered an ambitious programme of theatre, dance, music, and cabaret, featuring artists from the UK, South Korea, Romania, Sweden, Germany, and beyond.

Highlights included The Kpop Hop – a dynamic cross-cultural street dance collaboration between Siheung City Youth Foundation, Vital Signz Dance, and Kingston College – and the World Peace Concert, performed by Seocho Philharmonia and international artists under the direction of Jong Hoon Bae. Both events drew packed audiences and glowing feedback.

Other 2025 Highlights

Mindful Art Sessions & Exhibition

Starting the year with a successful Mindful Arts exhibition in FUSEBOX, we’ve continued to have well-attended weekly Mindful Art Sessions throughout the year.

KIFF Community in Residence – FilmBox

We announced Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF) as our chosen Community in Residence organisation for 2025. We’ve been delighted to work with KIFF throughout the year to deliver FilmBox and our Markets: Ghosts, Manifestations & Visions project.
FilmBox, launched in May 2024, is a free monthly club fosters film discussions and networking, with varied sessions on Wednesday evenings for young and emerging filmmakers aged 16+.

The Marketplace of Ideas

We transformed Kingston’s Ancient Market House into a space for exchanging ideas, creativity, and stories through exhibitions and live art-making. The Marketplace of Ideas reimagined the traditional market as a space for exchange — not of goods, but of ideas, stories, and creativity. Through exhibitions, live art-making, and collaborative installations, the event explored how art can bridge Kingston’s rich heritage with its imaginative future.

Dillon Dance – Our First Associate Company

We announced our first associate company, our long-standing collaborators Dillon Dance this year. Led by Shaun Dillon, Dillon Dance represented us at Siheung Youth Festival in South Korea in October, fostering international collaboration and future partnership.

Looking ahead

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited about upcoming opportunities: artists can apply for our What Makes Us exhibitions until 6 Jan (Magyck, Matter, and Queer) and FUSE International 2026 until 11 Jan. While FUSEBOX remains closed for now, we’re optimistic about reopening early next year.

FUSE International dancer in black and white over a red background with white tape with different artforms listed.   

Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this challenging yet inspiring year. Here’s to a creative and connected 2026!

FUSEBOX Visual Story

Posted on: December 1st, 2025 by cyEditor

Front of FUSEBOX showing the brick amphitheatre to the left, and the front entrance to the right.

The main entrance to FUSEBOX can be found to the righthand side of the brick amphitheatre on Kingston’s riverside.The outside of FUSEBOX showing the main entrance to the righthand side of the venue.

The main entrance (through the white double doors) are step free and lead to box office. For step free access to the basement, where you will find the main part of the venue, bar and toilets, the lift is accessed outside the venue. More details below.

Glass double doors mark the entrance to FUSEBOX to Box Office.

At the end of the corridor, you will see our Box Office where a member of staff will greet you. This is where you can come to buy or collect your tickets for the show, and where our team can answer any questions you might have.

On ground level is our Box Office at the end of a corridor with a sofa on the left and a

To the right of the Box Office you will find a corridor leading to 18 stairs to take you to the main venue area.

There are two consecutive flights of stairs (18 in total) to reach FUSEBOX's main space.

For step free access, the lift can be found outside the main entrance.

FUSEBOX lift can be found outside the venue, nearer to Kingston Bridge.

The lift has access to the basement where most activities take place. There is a small corridor leading to the main space when you exit the lift.

FUSEBOX lift downstairs leading towards main FUSEBOX space to the right

Once you move past the ruins at the bottom of the stairs, you will see the main space in FUSEBOX. The performance area sits to the righthand side and can be surrounded by black curtains. BOX Bar & Cafe are to the left-hand side.

For most performances, cabaret-style tables and chairs will be laid out for audience members. All of our seated shows have unreserved seats so you may sit anywhere. The lights will go off before the show starts.
For exhibitions, there may be no seats laid out and you are welcome to walk between the spaces in the venue.

FUSEBOX performance area sits to the righthand side, and the cafe to the left

You can find toilets through the doors by BOX Bar & Cafe. There is an accessible toilet, and through the door and to the left there are gender-neutral toilets and baby‑change facilities.

Accessible toilet door to the left of the image and a door to the right which leads to additional toilets

BOX Bar & Cafe is on the left of the open-plan space and you can buy hot and cold drinks and snacks here. You can relax in the Cafe space before and after the show.

Cafe seating and tables are on the righthand side and there is a hatch to the bar on the left.

We can’t wait to welcome you to FUSEBOX, and hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Artist call out for new FUSEBOX exhibition: What Makes Us?

Posted on: November 14th, 2025 by cyEditor

We invite you to explore the concept of matter – both the forms that shape your work and a reflection of why we matter as people.
Matter is everywhere: from the texture of objects to the things that bind us together. It is physical form, but also presence, impact, and meaning. How do we interact with matter? How do we transform it – and how does it transform us? From the materials we choose to the ideas we embody, matter is at the heart of all we do.
We are seeking works that interrogate and celebrate matter in all its interpretations. What does matter signify in your practice? Is it about texture, weight, and structure – or about identity, belonging, and significance? Whether your piece examines the elemental, the societal, or the deeply personal, we want to see how you give form to matter.

Apply for Matter Open Call

 

We invite artists to explore queerness in all its complexity – bold, beautiful, and unapologetic.

Queerness is more than identity; it is a way of seeing, being, and creating. It challenges norms, celebrates difference, and reimagines the world through radical self-expression.

What does queerness mean to you? How does it shape your practice, your perspective, your community? Whether your work is intimate or political, celebratory or confrontational, we welcome pieces that honour the spectrum of queer experience and affirm the voices that refuse to be silenced.

Apply for Queer Open Call

 

We want to know where you find magic in your life and how you explore it in your art.

Magic means different things to different people – from the beauty in the everyday and the world around us to fantasy, illusion, and the extraordinary – magic is an interaction with the unknown. Whether it’s through culture, folklore, rituals, community, love, or nature, magic, like art, is subjective. So we invite you to reflect on what it means to you and how it comes alive in your creative practice.

We are seeking works that capture the essence of magic in all its forms. Who does magic belong to? Where is it found? How does it shape your process? Whether your piece conjures fantastical worlds, otherworldly forms, a sense of wonder, or moments of transformation—we want to see where you find the magic in your artwork.

Apply for Magyck Open Call

The Marketplace of Ideas: A Week of Art, Exchange and Imagination

Posted on: October 24th, 2025 by cyEditor

From Tuesday 28 October to Saturday 1 November 2025, Kingston’s historic Ancient Market House transforms into The Marketplace of Ideas — a week-long celebration of creativity, culture, and connection, produced by Creative Youth as part of the Kingston 2025 programme.

Bringing together artists, audiences, and the local community, The Marketplace of Ideas reimagines the traditional market as a space for exchange — not of goods, but of ideas, stories, and creativity. Through exhibitions, live art-making, and collaborative installations, the event explores how art can bridge Kingston’s rich heritage with its imaginative future.

Marketplace: Traces, Manifestations & Visions Exhibition

The week opens with Marketplace: Traces, Manifestations & Visions, an exhibition showcasing the work of emerging artists aged 16–30.

Each piece responds to the themes of traces, manifestations, and visions — exploring how marketplaces hold memories of the past, reflect the present, and imagine futures still to come.

Hosted in Kingston’s Ancient Market House, the exhibition features a diverse range of visual artworks, from painting and sculpture to digital media and installation. Together, they create a vibrant dialogue between time, place, and identity — reflecting the global and local significance of marketplaces as spaces of gathering and exchange.

The Marketplace of Ideas – Saturday 1 November

The week culminates in a one-day interactive event, The Marketplace of Ideas, where visitors are invited to take part in a playful reimagining of trade and creativity.

Each visitor will receive a “ticket” featuring a theme inspired by Kingston’s market heritage, which they can exchange with one of eight young artists for a small, original artwork created on the spot. These mini works can then be swapped, traded, or added to a communal Memory Board, forming a living installation shaped by the creativity of everyone involved.

This free event celebrates collaboration over commerce, inviting audiences to experience creativity as a shared act of imagination and community building.

Creativity, Resilience and Recovery

The Marketplace of Ideas marks a moment of resilience and renewal for Creative Youth. Following two severe floods that temporarily closed FUSEBOX, our flagship venue, we’ve continued to deliver artistic programmes in new spaces across Kingston.

This event keeps the spirit of FUSEBOX alive — offering a platform for young artists and reaffirming our mission to create futures through the arts. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to FUSEBOX in 2026, as we rebuild and restore our home for creativity.

Event Details

📍 Location: Kingston’s Ancient Market House, Market Place, KT1 1JS

📅 Dates: Tuesday 28 October – Saturday 1 November 2025

🕒 Exhibition Hours: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

🎨 Live Marketplace Event: Saturday 1 November, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

About Kingston 2025

The Marketplace of Ideas forms part of Kingston 2025: A Year of Celebrating Culture, a borough-wide programme marking the 1100th anniversary of King Athelstan’s crowning. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Kingston 2025 connects heritage, creativity, and community through events across the borough.

Join Us

Come explore, exchange, and imagine in the heart of Kingston’s marketplace.

Find out more and support FUSEBOX’s recovery at creativeyouthcharity.org/fusebox.

📸 Follow us: @creativeyouthuk | @fuseboxkingston

Dillon Dance joins Creative Youth as first Associate Company

Posted on: October 8th, 2025 by cyEditor

Our inaugural Associate Company is the phenomenal Dillon Dance, a youth dance company led by the visionary Shaun Dillon. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Shaun and his talented dancers for several years, and it’s a joy to formalise this relationship through this platform. 

This recognition honours the deep and ongoing collaboration between Dillon Dance and Creative Youth, particularly through their long-standing involvement with FUSE International (formerly the International Youth Arts Festival). 

Last year, Dillon Dance captivated audiences with an immersive performance at FUSEBOX, transforming the unique basement space – nestled amongst Kingston Bridge’s ruins and a medieval undercroft – into a dynamic stage for movement and storytelling. 

This summer, Dillon Dance also took part in an exciting international collaboration with our new partners, Siheung City Youth Foundation (South Korea). During FUSE International 2025, the two organisations hosted a vibrant cross-cultural dance workshop, connecting through shared creativity and diverse styles. 

We’re thrilled to share that Shaun Dillon will be attending Siyeung Youth Festival on 18 October 2025 as our Associate Company. Shaun will experience the dance festival, meet and collaborate with local dance companies and learn more about the work of the Siheung City Youth Foundation.

This marks an exciting new chapter for Dillon Dance and Creative Youth – we can’t wait to see what unfolds next.

 

An Update on FUSEBOX: Recovery and Looking Ahead

Posted on: September 10th, 2025 by cyEditor

The impact has been devastating. These incidents, which originated in the building above FUSEBOX, have forced us to close the venue and pause all planned activities for the past three months. FUSEBOX is more than a venue—it is a home for creativity, a platform for emerging talent, and a safe, inclusive space where young people can express themselves, collaborate, and thrive. 

We had hoped to reopen this Autumn. Over the summer, our team has been working closely with key partners to assess when we could welcome the community back. Sadly, due to complex insurance matters, procedural delays, and the scale of repairs needed — all of which have been entirely outside of our control — reopening this year is not possible.

AT PRESENT, WE DO NOT EXPECT FUSEBOX TO REOPEN UNTIL EARLY 2026. 

Keeping Creativity Alive 

Even with the venue closed, our work continues. Thanks to the support of local partners, we are relocating parts of our programmes to keep delivering meaningful opportunities for young artists and our community. 

For the latest updates on where and how these events are taking place, please visit our What’s On or Get Involved pages, or follow us on social media. We promise to keep you posted about everything we have coming up, and we can’t wait to see you there.  

Help Us Recover 

The floods have been a huge blow to our charity. FUSEBOX represents years of dedication, passion, and a belief in the transformative power of creativity. Beyond this, these events have created significant financial challenges. FUSEBOX is not just a home for creativity—it is also a vital source of income for Creative Youth, which is now lost. 

If you are able, we would be deeply grateful for your support. Your contribution will help FUSEBOX recover and enable Creative Youth to sustain our programmes while the space remains closed. Every donation—big or small—makes a real difference in helping us continue our mission to inspire, empower, and showcase the next generation of creative talent. 

Click here to donate and support Creative Youth.

With Gratitude 

Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time. We are deeply grateful to our community, partners, funders, and the incredible young people who make Creative Youth what it is. To everyone who has offered help recovering FUSEBOX, provided alternative spaces, rescheduled activities, or shared kind words of support—we couldn’t do this without you. 

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to FUSEBOX as soon as possible. 

With heartfelt thanks and hope for the future,
Archie O’Neill & Daniel Cartlidge
Co-Directors, Creative Youth 

FUSEBOX Flood developments

Posted on: July 16th, 2025 by cyEditor

As many of you will be aware, on 17 June FUSEBOX suffered a major flood due to a blockage in the building above, which caused our pipes to burst and toilets to overflow. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working closely with venue partners to understand the extent of the damage and plan the recovery. Unfortunately, a second incident occurred on 15 July, and the building was once again flooded with wastewater.

This bittersweet news comes off the back of a brilliant FUSE International with companies from around the world coming together to share their work.

Thank you for bearing with us as we work with partners to rise to these new challenges and identify next steps forwards. All events in the immediate future have been cancelled and hirers have been contacted. It has become clear that there’s a more serious issue with the surrounding drainage infrastructure, and we are anticipating a recovery timeline of several months rather than weeks.

We hope to reopen in Autumn 2025. If you’d like to contribute to our recovery, any donations are gratefully received at this difficult time and makes the world of difference to our team.

FUSE International 2025 Highlights

Posted on: July 7th, 2025 by cyEditor

Thank you to everyone who was part of FUSE 2025!

From the performers and chaperones, to the audiences, technicians and volunteers, FUSE saw an inspiring range of shows and activities coming to Kingston across the 9-day festival this summer.

International highlights

We continued to foster significant international collaborations, with 2025 highlights including:

• The Kpop Hop: A high-energy cross-cultural street dance performance linking Siheung City Youth Foundation (South Korea), Vital Signz Dance and Kingston College. This event was preceded by the signing of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Siheung City Youth Foundation.

• Cross-cultural dance workshop: A day of exchange between UK dancers and visiting Korean artists, documented in a short film.
Watch the video celebrating the collaboration

• Future plans: Creative Youth has been invited to contribute to Siheung City Youth Day in October 2025, continuing to build international links.

• Returning international artists: Bucharest’s 2024 festival favourites returned with a bold neon-soaked 1980s reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Pre-flood FUSEBOX plans

FUSEBOX was due to act the heart of the festival – the home of fringe shows and a social space for artists, volunteers and audiences. Losing this hub was a key challenge for us, and is something will return to next year. Additionally, this reduced key earned income such as Bar Income; making our achievements in exceeding targets even more demonstrable.

Activity we planned to deliver during FUSE:

Audience feedback

“The festival was great. I really enjoyed the variety of different performances available and the vibrant atmosphere.”

“I love FUSE international. I love the idea of it, I love the execution and every year I think I must see more next year.”

“Overall it was a lovely experience, well organised, and a beautiful space to watch it”