2025 has been another busy year for our Creative Learning team, with huge amounts of activity both on and off site. As the year comes to an end we’d love to share with you what’s been happening.

About Creative Learning at Cambridge Junction

Our Creative Learning programme is built on principles of co-design, collaboration and inclusivity, focusing on young people with complex needs and those who experience significant barriers in their lives.

Through partnerships with youth provisions and specialist education settings, we build long-term, trusting relationships with young people, which celebrate and platform their creativity, with embedded pipeline progression pathways.

Your support helps make this work possible. If you’re able to donate, you can do so HERE.

January

Young creatives at St. Peters Autism Cabin spent 3 weeks collaborating with artists Liv Ello and Claire Nolan to produce 2 incredible new films, adding to their collection of films within the St. Peters cinematic universe.

Bridge City Collective, a vibrant and supportive community of talented young artists and creatives, formed through our Open Mic Club programme, sell out their first gig at Cambridge Junction!

Next Wave launches: our 2-year music industry development programme in partnership with Youth Music, Romsey Mill, YMCA, Anglia Ruskin University & Lyrix Organix.

February

Book of Cambridge: young authors from 3 local primary schools came together to launch their guidebook, exploring real and imagined versions of their city.

Young creatives from Olive AP Academy spent 3-weeks collaborating with professional artists Dauda Ladejobi, Jahmal Crowe and Liam Togher to produce an original short film.

March

Rewind DJ Academy x Olive AP Academy: young people showcased their new DJ skills live with DJ Bosslady on Cambridge 105’s Urban Baseline Show.

April

Junction Young Company performed their new devised show: This is Fine, over 2-nighst as part of the arts season programme.

Two Open Mic Club participants join our support worker team, working across our regular programmes, Total Arts, Mini Bytes, CYC & Olive DJ workshops.

Industry Days: 60 young people explored the broad range of creative career pathways through arts-based workshops, Q&As with industry professionals, and explored the backstage areas of Cambridge Junction.

May

Our Events Assistant apprentice passed his apprenticeship.

Total Arts filmed their latest project ‘Glitch’ with film maker Pete Harmer and Creative Facilitator Gavin Dent, ready to be screened at the Big Trouble Little Pictures.

June

Total Arts co-curated and hosted their annual film festival, Big Trouble Little Pictures, celebrating films made by young artists and filmmakers who have participated on a creative learning programme.

Bridge City Collective Fiver Takeover: the community of local artists, crossing a range of genres, took to the J1 stage for the first time as part of our long-standing Fiver nights.

Two Next Wave participants went to Glastonbury Festival, supported by Next Wave, with one participant performing on the Rumshack stage!

July

Contemporary Youth Choir had their summer showcase, performing with a live band for the first time!

The Next Wave mentorship programme kicked off with one of our participants connecting with musician Richard Fairlie.

August

Big Bang Theory: young people spent a week learning all about sound engineering and at the end of the week, they teamed up with local bands and mixed the sound for Fiver!

We launched the Kit Bank: a community powered initiative where donated musical equipment is handed over to young people. Receiving National attention, the Kit Bank has seen over 200 donations!

September

Next Wave participants launched into event production for their next January gig.

Open Mic Club is rebooted in partnership with Romsey Mill, YMCA Cambridge, JayaHadADream & DJ Bosslady.

October

Industry Days: 60 young people explored the broad range of creative career pathways through arts-based workshops, Q&As with industry professionals, and explored the backstage areas of Cambridge Junction.

We held out first ever Creative Learning Symposium. The day explored the learning from our 4-year arts partnership programme with four alternative school settings. Together, we delved into what co-creation and Creative Learning really mean, and how these approaches can transform experiences for young people, artists, schools and the wider industry.

November

Our Creative venue Technician apprentice completes her apprenticeship with a pass!

December

Contemporary Youth Choir opened up our Snow White press night with a collection of festival songs, including their original Christmas song!

Open Mic Club participants performed at Mill Road Winter Fair, promoting their next event on 15 January 2026 – Bridge City Collective: From the Roots Up.

Over 500 young people experienced Snow White through the Funded Ticket Scheme.

Total Arts and Total Arts Mini Bytes collaborated for the first time, performed their new WIP show, exploring tangled webs of AI, augmented tech, podcasts, and online life.

“What a year! It’s been a total joy to collaborate with and celebrate all the incredible young creatives who shape our creative learning work. Together, we’re got creative in so many way – through filmmaking, theatre devising, music making, producing, crafting, and curating, whilst also exploring the many different pathways into the creative industries. We’ve been incredibly busy but there’s never a dull day for our creative learning team.

We are so grateful to our partners, artists and funders who make this work possible, accessible, and free to access for participants. And of course, to our audiences, members and local community who have supported us, donated to our Kit Bank, Funded Ticket Scheme, or bought a ticket to experience something amazing produced by young people.” Beth Bailey, Head of Creative Learning, Cambridge Junction

Find out more about Creative Learning here