Culture Camps

In the summer of 2022, we ran “culture camps” across four different lots around Kent, where secondary school children were given the opportunity to work directly with professional artists, and create art they could share with others. 

Through the camps, we helped young people build social relationships between each other, gave them a greater understanding of creative industries, and explored the ways in which they can become more artistically connected to their local community.

Throughout two structured days of learning and creative expression, participants worked towards an ‘Arts Award Discover’ qualification, accredited by Trinity College London. This award encourages individual development and increases young people’s experience and understanding of arts and culture. 

We brought in external artists and speakers from the local area to put on workshops and guide participants through creative activities. We covered a wide range of artistic disciplines – after all, the purpose of the camps was to encourage young people in exploring their artistic voices, inspire learning, and boost their confidence and self-esteem; rather than assess their skill level in a specific art form. As such, we taught things like painting, sculpting, filmmaking, singing and songwriting, as well as more niche areas like film makeup artistry and eco printing.  

The camps also brought about a great opportunity for young people to engage with their peers. Outside of the workshops, we hosted some really social lunchtimes where participants could play games and get to know each other. We wanted to help young people create support networks of like-minded people, building up personal and community resilience to help each other through tough times in the future. Lunches were provided free of charge to ensure true accessibility, and the food was well received and met all dietary requirements. Full stomachs; happy hearts. 

Earning an ‘Arts Award Discover’ qualification was a great way to top off the values their culture camp experiences instilled, and we’re incredibly proud to report that over 100 young people gained this credential through our camps. For those who didn’t quite meet the criteria to achieve the award, we offered continued support after the camps’ finish to help them carry on working towards it. 

The feedback we gained at the end of the camps showed that most participants would recommend the programme to a friend, and felt engaged and listened to throughout. We also found that 91% of participants felt they had a better knowledge of creative career options through their experiences in the camp.