southampton – Connecting Culture

Booking open: What’s Next Southampton?

Free summer festival for children, young people and families
Saturday 24 June, 12 – 6pm
Guildhall Square and Cultural Quarter Venues, SO14 7DU

What’s Next Southampton? is a free arts, fashion and music festival for children, young people and families. Free activities and performances will spread across the square and Cultural Quarter venues.

The line-up is brought to you by six Cultural Connectors, aged 17-26 years. They’ve explored what young people want in the city and created a colourful festival.

Enjoy indie music from Belle Dame Band as well as rap and R&B from Amy Da Silva, Leah Tolksdorf Music, and LawZzy.

Have a go at African Drumming or Bollywood Dancing. Step inside an inflatable ‘brain dome’. Join in with creative writing, theatre and music workshops. Build your contacts with creative careers talks and networking. Or test your balance with a skateboarding drop-in.

With vintage clothing to browse and a collaborative mural to colour, the square will be alive with creativity!

Book your free place

You’ll gain access to advance programme notifications and entry into a prize draw

The event is part of Connecting Culture, a ground-breaking project led by the University of Southampton and supported by Arts Council England, Southampton City Council and MAST Mayflower Theatre.

OPPORTUNITY: Become a Cultural Connector

Are you aged 16 – 25 years old, living in Southampton?

Would you like to help shape the future of Southampton’s cultural life for young people?

Become one of Southampton’s Cultural Connectors!

Young people from SoCoMusic with Eileen Simpson and Ben White. British Art Show 8 Southampton

10 Cultural Connectors will join ‘Connecting Culture’, a ground-breaking project led by University of Southampton. You will explore how Southampton’s thriving Cultural Quarter can enrich the lives of children and young people as a future creative hub and work alongside a large group of creative organisations and child-focused services.

Ambitious programme of creative workshops for 1000 young people begins

Workshop pack designed by artist Faye Phillips

The Connecting Culture research project, led by University of Southampton, has launched its ambitious ‘Creative Consultation’ programme of artist-led creative workshops for children and young people in Southampton.

Following delays caused by Covid-19, the first workshops took place at Polygon and Bitterne Park Primary schools in the first week of May, and ultimately around 1000 children and young people from across the city are set to take part.

Introducing Sarah Girling, Creative Consultation Coordinator

Meet Sarah Girling, Creative Consultation Coordinator for the Connecting Culture project. Sarah is a freelance Cultural Education Consultant, working with schools, arts organisations and artists, a job she thoroughly enjoys.

Introducing Connecting Culture

FuzzyLogic Youth Company performing The Beast. Image courtesy of ZoieLogic Dance Theatre.

By Paige Michel-Strachan

Connecting Culture is an innovative, cross-sector project, led by University of Southampton. In my first (on-topic!) blog as Digital Marketing and Project Assistant, I’m going to summarise this huge creative project for you in just a few short paragraphs. Here goes…

JOB VACANCY: Youth Voice Coordinator (Connecting Culture and Southampton CEP)

Salary: £25,217 per annum
Full Time Fixed Term for 12 months
Closing Date: Wednesday 13 January 2021

Do you have direct experience working with children and young people to achieve their goals? Are you passionate about arts, culture and creativity and its potential to transform lives?

We’re looking for an exceptional individual, with the skills, experience, energy and drive to connect a diverse range of Children and Young People to transformative opportunities and support them to influence cultural provision in Southampton that meets their needs and aspirations.

Artist Facilitators announced for Creative Consultation

Children and young people from across Southampton are at the heart of ‘Connecting Culture’, a ground-breaking project focused on addressing the question of how the city’s thriving Cultural Quarter can enrich the lives of those aged five to 25.

The project begins with an Artist-led ‘Creative Consultation’ with over 350 participants that will provide an insight into each participant’s individual experience of culture and collectively, it will form a picture for Southampton of how children and young people would like to engage in creative activity across the city.