The Creative Spark

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

Spring 2025 – Closing The Cultural Gap. 

9am-5pm Friday, 21st March @ Living Lab, ARU Peterborough 

You are invited to The Creative Spark, Spring 2025, the first of five 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 unfunded and youth attendees. 

Agenda for the day:

8.30am - 9.15am: Registration, with coffee and pastries 

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

9.20am: Morning Session 1 
- Getting to know each other 
- Data and insights about Peterborough’s young population  
- 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. 
Real-life initiatives and projects with young people will be provocations for active conversations, mapping challenges, investigating solutions and building partnerships. 
(If you would like to lead one of these breakout sessions please contact Kate Hall, Creative Producer for Jumped Up Theatre.)

12.30: Lunch 

1.30pm: Afternoon session 1 
- Breakout sessions continue, or panel discussion – tbc 
- Reflections 

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.

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