Opportunities for Children and Young People outside school

Check out the FREE Fun and Food Sessions taking place across Nottingham over the Summer Holidays. The sessions are packed full of great sporting and creative activities, a great way to keep children entertained over the summer. 

Go to the website to find a session near you!

 Ages 7-11, Monday to Thursday throughout summer holidays, 10am-2pm, FREE for children in receipt of free school meals. Sessions in Bulwell, Bestwood, Hyson Green, Radford, Forest Fields, Sherwood, Wollaton
A street dance, hip-hop, singing and song writing club. Learn dance routines, how to construct a song or rap, and learn methods to help with physical and mental wellbeing as well as understanding how social media impacts on our wellbeing.  To find out more or book email or call 07771606400 

 Ages 12-16. 2-6 August, 10am-3pm.

The Next Gen Movement Summer camp in conjunction with Nottingham Playhouse is for young people aged 12 - 16, helping them explore their creative talents.

With a mix of music,  DJ sessions, poetry, film and video editing and dance with Nottingham born practitioners who are experts within their fields, young people will get a first class experience in new and varied contemporary skills.

Find out more on the Nottingham Playhouse website.

All ages. National Justice Museum. 6 and 13 August, 10am-12pm. Free.  

Build a brilliant Lego environment and protest placard for a Lego mini figure.

Craft a message about something you care about and we’ll send this positivity out into the world! You’ll receive a sanitized tray of Lego and each mini protester will be photographed for the Young People and Protest project.

Find out more on the NJM website. 

All Ages. National Justice Museum. Every Friday 10am-12:30pm. Free.
Sessions led by artists, makers and writers, all influenced by the unique National Justice Museum.

• 30 July: Mask Making with Antonietta Sacco (to confirm)
• 6 August: Lego Protest with Make to Make (part) of S.H.E.D
• 13 August: Lego Protest with Make to Make (part) of S.H.E.D
• 20 August: 3D Model Making with Abi Whittaker
• 27 August: Protest Banner with Shamila Chady

Find out more on the NJM website. 

Ages 7-10 Friday 30 July, 10am to 3.30, Free.
Ages 9-12 Friday 27 August. 10am to 3.30, Free.
Choose just one of these holiday art workshops to enjoy a range of hands-on art activities inspired by contemporary artists. You will  have the chance to achieve your Discover Arts Award certificate - the perfect first step for anyone who is passionate about painting, drawing, moulding and constructing. 

Booking by email is essential.. Please wear suitable clothes for messy activities, and bring a packed lunch.  

The Change Makers Initiative in partnership with The Burns Price Foundation supports young people under the age of 19 from across the UK, with grants of £100 each to work on grass roots level ideas with art and science at the core of the social action project. Find out more on the website.

This summer the National Literacy Trust is encouraging everyone to get outside and take a walk and talk through a trail of fun ideas and activities!

Download the trail and you could be in with a chance of winning a summer book bundle! Find out more here.or download the trail  

Kristyna Baczynski is an illustrator, cartoonist and writer, she creates comics, prints and designs.She has created resources to help you create your own Zine! Download them here: zine template zine instructions frame ideas cover ideas 

Ages 5-15. Monday 23– Friday 27 August 202, 9.30am-3.30pm,  £95.00 full week. With Wraparound Care: 8.30am- 5.30pm £145.00 Full week
A week of dramatic adventures as Nonsuch Young Company‘s Play in a Week returns to stage two incredible pieces of theatre in just one week. Juniors for 5-11 year olds and Seniors for 12-15 year olds, will each produce their own play, working with Nonsuch Studios’ team of highly qualified and experienced theatre professionals and practitioners.
At the end of the week, families and friends can come and see the finished pieces in a spectacular showcase on the Nonsuch Studios stage. For more information please visit the Nonsuch website 

Ages 6-11. 10-12 August, 9.15am – 3.45pm. Price for 3 full days £45, concession £6 for 3 full days (for those attending primary schools in Sneinton and St Anns).
Join us for a three-day summer school delivered by Next Door Dance in partnership with Dance4. An energetic and fun experience for children interested in dance, no experience needed. It’s an opportunity to work alongside dance artists to create a performance, which will be filmed on the final day to later share with friends and family. With the opportunity to achieve the Arts Award Discover and gain a certificate at the end. Find out more on the Dance4 website or by  or email. 

Suitable for all ages. 31 July, 7 August, 14 August, 21 August, 28 August, 5.30-6.30pm. £9.95 per person

Can you help catch the escaped prisoner? Journey back to Victorian Nottingham and solve the case of the escaped prisoner! This family-friendly activity takes place in the Victorian streets of the Narrowmarsh museum experience. You become one of the different families living in the slum and help the head detective search for an escaped convict before he commits another crime! You and your family will investigate the different areas of Narrowmarsh, searching for clues and solving puzzles. Once you’ve finished gathering your evidence, you will be escorted to the Civil Courtroom to go through your findings and solve the case! Find out more on the NJM website.

Ages 11-15 Tuesday 10 August, 11am to 12.45pm, at iC4C

Dance4's Centre for Advanced Training is offering a FREE workshop for young people aged 11 to 15.  Explore contemporary techniques and engage in creative tasks whatever your previous experience of dance. Find out more.

From 10 July in your local library or online.
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Wild World Heroes. Children are challenged to read six books before September, collecting stickers along the way. If they finish, they get a medal and certificate. There will be story-based crafts available in libraries every day of the summer holidays, these can be done in the library or the packs can be taken home. Find out more on the website or by email. 

Hockley Hustle and Young Hustlers music and arts festival hope to return on October 24th to once again cover the Hockley area of town with music and arts activities for all of the family, whilst raising money for local charities. The festival is a vibrant and colourful event and The Hustle are asking for crafty contributions from young people across the city to decorate the streets. If you'd like to get involved as an individual or group with decorating the festival, please email for further information. 

Ages 15-25. Nottingham Contemporary
1525 Collective are looking for new members to join them. 1525, are a group of young creatives who gather regularly at Nottingham Contemporary. They strive to be a proactive collective sharing resources, discussing ideas, and mutually supporting each other’s creative interests. More information can be found on the website. 

This project is dedicated to roses in all their aspects, shapes and colours. The organisers are seeking entries of images of roses and gardens. They can be photographs, drawings, paintings, textile art, crafts, whatever form you wish to use, along with a description of what roses mean to you. Entries for the competition are encouraged by all ages, individuals or groups. There will be an exciting final Autumn event in Beeston, with selected images and stories forming a major online exhibition, book, film and projected light shows. Visit the website for more information and to upload your entries. Closing date 30th September 2021. 

Help Year 6 pupils feel prepared for Year 7 with fun SMART activities. The activities have been created by the Nottingham Emmanuel School and are based on the book SMART by Kim Slater, a fantastic book set in Nottingham, that pupils from at least six City schools will be reading together in their Year 7 tutor groups.  Don't read the book yet, just download the tasks and follow the activities (with help from Kim Slater herself!) to help you get to know the book.  

If you’re the parent of a secondary school student, The Mighty Creatives want to hear from you and your children. Working with a European group of partners in Bulgaria, Spain and Italy, TMC wants to understand the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 14-19. This crucial research project is funded by Erasmus+. All of the online surveys are anonymous, so you won’t need to provide any information that will personally identify you. Find out more about the research here. Parents and carers Take the parent survey Children and young people take the student survey 

10am-5pm every open day. 13 November 2021 to 2 January 2022. Suitable for all ages.
Come and see our exhibition space turned into a giant project lab! Share your voice: What would you protest about? Find out more on the NJM website. 

Places available this Autumn 2021 :

• Infant Young Company for children aged 5-7 yrs old
• Junior Young Company for children aged 8-11 years old. 
• Senior Young Company for those aged 12-16 years old. 
• Young Adults for the aged 16+

There are plenty of free bursary places available for each of these programmes. Email to find out more. 

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 

Saturdays from 11 September 2021
Little Lit Theatre: Ages 5-7 10-11am Lit Junior Theatre: Ages 8-11 11.30am-1pm
Lit Theatre Company is excited to welcome new members to join its youth theatre. Weekly workshops include a mix of theatre practices to develop skills, promote creativity and make friends. 12 weeks bookings cost £55 (one week free), which can be split into instalments. To find out more please email info@littheatre.org. 

Lakeside Youth Theatre groups focus on having fun and developing new skills through drama and creative play:

• Little Lakesiders - Ages 5-7: Saturdays term time. 9.30-10.30am..£55 per person, per term
• LYT - Ages 8-10: Saturdays term time, 11am - 12.30pm. £60 per term
• LYT - Ages 11-13: Saturdays in term time, 1-3pm. £70 per person, per term
• LYT - Ages 14+: Thursdays term time, 6-8.30pm. £70 per term 

Find out more on the Lakeside website.

Nonsuch Young Performer Training

• Ages 16-25 Tuesdays 5-7pm £120 per 13 week term.  Find out more.

Nonsuch Young Company

• Little Creators Ages 2-4: Saturdays 9.00-9.45am £60 per 10-week block
• Junior Young Company Ages 5-7: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am £80 per 10-week block
• Senior Young Company Ages 8-11: Saturdays 11.15-13.15pm £80 per 10-week block
• Advanced Young Company Ages 12-15: Wednesdays 5.30-7.00pm £90 per 10 week block 

 Find out more.

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

Play and Learn: In Gallery, at Home, and Outside! Join the family workshops at Nottingham Contemporary or enjoy the activities on the website to keep you busy at home and outside. You can use objects from around the home and for others you might need a few art materials. Free material packs are available for collection from the reception in Nottingham Contemporary, or they can post them out to you! Please email for free material packs.