Opportunities for Children and Young People outside school

 Entries open for the Young Creative Awards on 1 January 2021. Since 2009, the annual awards have been nurturing, inspiring and celebrating young creative talent in Nottingham. Open to 11-24yr olds who live, study or work in Nottingham, they celebrate achievements in Animation & Digital Media, Creative Writing, Dance, Design & Architecture, Drama, Fashion & Textiles, Film, Graphic Design, Music, Photography and Visual Art. Winners are awarded cash prizes and promotion, as well as mentoring, work placements and professional development opportunities. It’s free to enter.  If you’re interested in having a former YCA winner come to your school to talk to students, please email Nick Lawford. 

Novels That Shaped Our World: Women in Power, Politics and Protest from Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.  Suitable for ages 14+
A series of three workshops that aim to inspire audiences to  talk about the power of the novel to touch us profoundly and to open our eyes to injustices. 

Manifesto for Change: Sat 20 March     11am-1pm. £10, free to under 25s.
Join poet Michelle Hubbard and author Selina Nwulu who will talk about her work, her path to publication and tips and inspiration for aspiring writers. There’ll also be a book club discussion, Q&A and working together to write a manifesto for change - women’s role in the future, a vision of their creative power and social     currency. Find out more. 

Did you know Nottingham is one of the most diverse cities in the country? We have such an exciting mix of different cultures and each culture has its own kind of music. To celebrate these rich musical traditions, Nottingham Music Hub are launching an exciting project called Music in Nottingham and they want Nottingham's children and young people to be part of this project. Interview a friend or a relative, and ask them about any     particular musical pieces, songs or instruments that hold special value in     their culture. If the child or friends and family can play or sing this music, NMH would love to hear it. Find out more on the Nottingham Music Hub website, 

Suitable for ages 14+
English PEN celebrates its centenary in 2021, marking this important moment with ‘Common Currency’ - a unique 12-month project of ambitious scale that started in autumn 2020.  It seeks to ignite a national conversation around issues of freedom of expression led by writers and readers exploring three key themes: free speech and democracy; languages and ideas crossing borders and celebrating women. Read more 

Fearless Youth Association is a Nottingham based organisation that aims to inform, empower, inspire and develop young people through workshops, projects and training programmes. They offer free online digital media training programmes for young people to learn or develop skills in a variety of areas:     

• Digital Storytelling
• Radio Broadcasting and Interviewing 
• Music Production
• Videography 
• Web Design
• Photography
• Graphic Design   

For more information please email  FYA or visit the website.

First Thursday of the month from February 5.00pm-6.30pm. Free. Live via Zoom. Ages 14 and over.

YOUnique is an exciting arts and activism festival organised by, and for, young people. YOUnique Producers are a small and dedicated team where young people who learn all aspects of festival production by creating the annual YOUnique Festival. 

To find out more contact: younique@nae.org.uk

NONSUCH YOUNG PERFORMER TRAINING: An exciting pre-professional training programme for aspiring actors and performers aged 16-25. Running until Tuesday 30th March (13 weeks no half term break) 6pm to 8pm.

NONSUCH YOUNG COMPANY: Nottingham’s newest Youth Theatre for creatives aged 2-4, 5-7, 8-11 and 12-15 from Nonsuch Studios.

Find out more on the Nonsuch website.

Ages 8-12: Tuesdays 4.15pm-6.15pm Ages 12-18: Wednesdays 5pm-7pm. Free. Live via Zoom 

YARD from the New Arts Exchange is a creative and supportive hub for young people to come together, develop their performance skills, devise their own work, and explore new approaches with a diverse range of professional artists. 

Open to all. To find out more visit the NAE website or contact yard@nae.org.uk 

Lakeside Youth Theatre for ages 14-18  provides a platform for members to create, develop and take risks using their own ideas in a safe environment. Young people will get to work with exciting artists, performers and professionals, perform in some unusual spaces and devise new and exciting theatre work. Whilst sessions are currently happening online, they are planning and devising some really exciting projects for when we get back into the studio. to find out more please email louise.kay@nottingham.ac.uk 

The Next Gen Platform is an online hub for young people to access a range of workshops and seminars, covering various subjects such as mental health, business and social media marketing. Regular workshops include:
Nottingham Inspired  - Mondays 6pm-7pm
Social Media   Marketing - Tuesdays 6pm-7pm
CV and Cover Letter   Writing - Wednesdays 5.30pm-6.30pm
DJ Classes  – Every Thursday 5pm–6pm
Next Gen Monthly Focus Group  

Wednesdays, 5.00-7.00pm until 31 March, online. Free.

Calling all 12-16 year olds! This art club is for your OWN art, your OWN style, your OWN ideas!

Led by artist Shamila Chady you will be learning art and design skills and taking inspiration from the amazing exhibitions at New Art Exchange. You will also have the chance to work towards your Bronze Arts Award which includes the opportunity to display your OWN artwork.

To book your place please email ruth@nae.org.uk

Tuesdays 4.00-6.00pm until 30 March, online. Free.

Are you aged 8 to 11 years? Do you love art and design? Would you like to take part in painting, photography, model making and many other creative activities, every week?

You will be virtually visiting the exhibitions at New Art Exchange, finding out about artists and making your own art, with the option to work towards your Explore Arts Award.

To book your place please email ruth@nae.org.uk