The Creative Spark

Working Together for Young People’s Access To Arts, Culture & Heritage

Welcome to The Creative Spark, Spring 2025, a series of five, free gatherings, hosted by Jumped Up Theatre and funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.   

The Creative Spark brings together artists and arts organisations, educators and community leaders, young people and stakeholders, to drive forward change in the provision of arts, culture and heritage for young people, aged 0-25, in Peterborough. 

The Creative Spark will provide you with inspiration and shared learning, opportunities to network and build partnerships, space to reflect on challenges and solutions, refreshments, and bursaries for expenses for unfunded and youth attendees. 

On 21 March 2025 over 50 delegates from the arts, charities, and education sectors came together with the intention of closing the cultural gap for young people.

Agenda for the day:

8.30am - 9.15am: Registration
Coffee & pastries, welcome by Art Pop Up

9.15am: Welcome & Introduction, led by Stephanie Peachey of Nene Park Trust. 

9.20am: Morning Session 1 
- Getting to know each other 
- Data and insights about Peterborough’s young population  - Kate Hall of Jumped Up Theatre, Lucy Jones of ARU Peterborough.
- Initial thoughts about the role of The Creative Spark. 

10am: Keynote and Q&A 
Closing The Cultural Gap - Derri Burdon, CEO of Curious Minds & Co-Chair of the Cultural Learning Alliance.   

Derri began her career as a teacher, teaching English and developing Access to HE programmes. As Head of Enrichment for Learning at Bolton Council, she supported schools to plan and deliver high-quality out of school hours learning opportunities and was a QISS (Quality in Study Support) Critical Friend and an Extended Schools Remodelling Consultant. She was responsible for leading several strategic school improvement initiatives, including as Director of the government-funded Find Your Talent and Inspiring Communities pathfinder programmes, and Bolton’s UFA and Children’s University partnerships. 

Inspired by her own family and childhood experiences, Derri is passionate about improving outcomes for all children, especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. She is driven by the belief that rather than attempting to ‘close the gap’, we should be filling it with enriching and inspirational cultural and collective learning experiences that the most fortunate families take for granted. 

11am: Coffee break

11.15am: Morning Session 2 
Breakout sessions, led by local creatives and cultural leaders: Ruth Campbell of Metal, Peterborough, Sam Roddan and Rose Croft Art Pop Up with Kai Yarlett & Milo Machin, Lydia Baldwin of Peterborough Cultural Alliance and Eve Woods, Maleeha Iqbal and Faith Falayi of Culture Talks Podcast.
Real-life initiatives and projects with young people will be provocations for active conversations, mapping challenges, investigating solutions and building partnerships. 

12.30: Lunch - Vegetarian buffet (food preferences catered for.)

1.30pm: Afternoon session 1 
Panel discussion - Actor and Facilitator Louise Garwood, Precious Graham of Culture Community CiC, Nick Reinis-Keightley of Inspire Education Group, and Laura Johnson, Arts Lead Gladstone Primary.

2.45pm: Tea Break 

3.00pm: Afternoon Session 2 
Hackathon – how to collaborate on solutions to shared challenges 
Select two actions for Jumped Up Theatre, and others, to take forward. 

4.30pm: Wrapping up 
Reflections & looking forward 

5.00pm: Close.

The first event was a big success, there is still chance to join us, especially if you are a young person or work with young people.

Please contact us via our Contact Page HERE

Join us in collectively building a brighter, more creative future for Peterborough’s young people.