Are you curious about performance? Passionate about the environment? Do you want a safe space to develop your skills with like-minded people?
Join the New Creatives!
The New Creatives is a free programme for young people in Peterborough, aged 14-24, who want to create exciting events and projects with professional artists.
We meet weekly from October to May, working together creating exciting projects that tackle local environmental issues. It's a fun, supportive space to build your skills, share ideas, and make real change through art, performance, and more.
Term-by-term commitment means you can try it for one term and decide if you want to continue. No pressure to stay for the whole year, although you're very welcome to!
When: Wednesdays, 5–7 pm
Oct 8, 15, 22
Nov 12, 19, 26
Dec 3, 10
Cost: FREE
Location: Central Peterborough- exact location to be announced.
If you have any questions please get in touch with our Participation Producer.
Artist Lineup for the Autumn Term
Mixy (Rap & Writing)
Mixy, real name ‘Michael Riccardi’ is an artist local to Peterborough, UK, who began writing to self council and got his early performance experience at school talent shows and hip hop open mics. At the end of 2009 he was the youngest person and first rapper to be granted the title ‘Poet laureate of Peterborough’ and has toured theatres and festivals across the UK, including 3 successful runs at Edinburgh fringe, where ‘The Scotsman’ described him as ‘Making Mike Skinner of the streets look decidely average’.
Mixy was living in China for 7 years, and in the few years he’s been back, has founded and organized a regular hip hop event called ‘Offline’ and released 5 recorded projects that can be found online. His style sits somewhere between rap and poetry, and has been known to make fans of people who are excited by neither artform.
Photo Credit: Pam Raith
Jude Taylor (Songwriting & Musical Theatre)
Composer, lyricist and writer from Leicester. He is a Resident Creative at Curve in Leicester and a Generate Associate Artist at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.
In addition to his original musical theatre work, including ‘Is He Musical?’ (Curve; The Other Palace) and ’The Unconventionals’ (VAULT Festival), Jude has also written music and lyrics for stage adaptations of ’The Owl Who Came for Christmas’, ‘Pirates Love Underpants’ and ‘Aliens Love Panta Claus’. He is passionate about making work with local communities and with children and young people, and has most recently collaborated with young people in schools as an artist on the National Theatre ’Speak Up’ programme.
Louise Garwood (Acting and Theatremaking)
Louise is an actor, director and theatre-maker from Peterborough with a strong commitment to championing female voices, and an advocate for the power of regional theatre. Her acting credits include Bossy! (Tear It Up Theatre, Camden Fringe) and Titus Andronicus (Theatre Space NE). She wrote, directed and performed Karen vs The People (Lamphouse Theatre) and has worked as a Director and facilitator with both young people and adults, creating work that is empowering, playful and rooted in community. She is excited to work with the New Creatives to further accessibility to culture and creativity for all young people in Peterborough.
Ruth Mestel (Storytelling)
Ruth Mestel is a Midlands-based creative whose work explores activism, self-acceptance, and belonging, offering space for honest, human connection. She has worked with organisations including Birmingham Rep, Watford Palace Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith and Reimagine Redditch, and her writing has been featured in the Almeida Theatre’s Shifting Tides anthology. Ruth is the Co-Director of Calathea Arts and a member of the Itzatna Collective. Passionate about people and place, she believes in art’s power to spark empathy, inspire change, and celebrate community.
New for 2025/26, we're offering two pathways for young people to get involved in New Creatives: the Youth Programme (ages 14-19) for those interested in creativity and performance, and the Young Leaders programme (ages 20-24) for those who want to learn how to lead and facilitate creative sessions.
Explore our New Creatives pathways
Heres what previous New Creatives have to say about the programme:
Young people making work with support from professional artists. You’re invited.
Lead a climate focused performance project that’s playful, powerful and packed with purpose.
This year will be with fifth cohort of New Creatives. Take a look at what’s come before:
Eco Games
Surfing Sofas
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Style Stories
Fierce Talent
.