Create Sheffield

Something VERY exciting is happening in Sheffield next week 👀

Our partners at The Sheffield College are hosting their very first Sheffcol Creates Festival (co-ordinated by Laura Poole) — 22nd–26th June.

Student work being shown in the city's most important cultural spaces. The next generation of Sheffield's artists and creative professionals having their moment.

We love it, and we'll see you there! 💫

Follow the link for the whole programme.

https://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/sheffcol-creates

✨ Create Sheffield Network Spotlight ✨

Every day, artists and creative professionals across Sheffield work to nourish creativity in children and young people's lives. Follow our series to meet them!

This time: Angie Hardwick 🏺- Ange Made Ceramics

Angie is a Sheffield-based ceramicist and visual artist who works with schools, community groups and cultural venues to create large-scale sculpture and ceramics.

Angie works with young people because she believes creativity builds confidence and pride: "I love enabling young people to creatively express themselves… [to] be proud of their achievements and have a sense of belonging", she says.

Her projects connect heritage, place and identity, and her generosity and artistic skill help young people connect with themselves.

In a recent project, Angie helped children aged 5-14 across Sheffield to make their own ceramic fishes — one to take home, and one that formed part of an installation in the Winter Gardens. In the installation, all the fish travel in the same direction apart from one. The message: it's OK to swim against the tide 🥳🐟

Then last year, Angie worked with Springfield Primary on a heritage-in-schools project coordinated by Create Sheffield in collaboration with Historic England & local heritage partners. Building on tailored heritage lessons, Angie supported pupils to make beautiful ceramic pieces of local buildings that meant something to them. Can you recognise which ones they are from the pics? 🤔

Thanks, Angie, for all that you do! 🙏

🔍 Explore Angie's other amazing projects or get in touch via her website at www.angiehardwick.co.uk, or at Ange Made Ceramics. Schools and community groups — if you'd like to work with Angie on a project, get in touch!

💡 Discover more remarkable creatives in our website directory - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/partners, read more about the Heritage in Schools project https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/news/know-your-place, or sign up to our newsletter for much more like this - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/getupdates.

🤝 If you're working with children & young people in Sheff, join us! Become part of the Create Sheffield network (it's free 🌱) - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/becomeapartner

It's festival season in Sheffield...😎⛈️🎉

..and there are some ace creative things for families, children and young people to get involved with!

☠️Horrible Histories fan? DocFest is kicking off next week, and you can meet the show's cast and crew for a Thoroughly Horrible Morning 13th June 10-11.15 at The Lyceum (city centre). Or, try out mask-making, a family rave & loads more - all as part of the GEN DocFest programme for children, families & young people. https://www.sheffdocfest.com/festival/2026/special-programmes-presentations/gen-docfest

🎵 Want to try South Asian Folk Dance or a Ceilidh (no experience necessary) & hear talented young folk musicians from across the city? Join Sheffield Youth Folk Festival at Upper Chapel/Channing Hall (city centre) on 20th June - it'll be a party not to be missed! https://www.soundpost.org.uk/sheffieldyouthfolkfestival.html

🐯 Animal lovers can join Showroom for some big screen nature this May-June with the Our World programme - starring humpback whales, kangaroos and a very hungry caterpillar! Part of their Children and Families programme, in partnership with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, DocFest & Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. https://showroomcinema.org.uk/festivals/our-world

📩 Want lots more like this straight to your inbox? Sign up for the Create Sheffield newsletter - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/getupdates

Enjoy!

May half term is nearly here — and some lovely weather is on the way! 🌞🥳

Here's a taste of what's on for families wanting to get creative next week:

🎪 Holiday Circus Club at Greentop Circus — aerial hoop, trapeze and silks at your own pace, for ages 7–16. 26th–28th May. https://www.greentop.org/project/holiday-activities/

🏛️ The Big Sheffield Build at the National Videogame Museum, in partnership with Sheffield DocFest — add your own build to a Sheffield-inspired Minecraft world. Ages 6+. 23rd–31st May. https://thenvm.org/the-big-sheffield-build/

🤖 Robots at National Emergency Services Museum — discover how robots help our emergency services with hands-on activities. 23rd–31st May. https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/thisseason/nesmhalfterm

🎨 Free Summer Art Exhibition at Sheffield Winter Gardens by Link Learning Art — drop in for gorgeous artworks by local school children. 26th–28th May. https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/thisseason/summerartexhibition

…and there's loads more! Sign up to our newsletter for the full roundup https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/getupdates , or check our website 🔗 https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/alleventsandopps

👋 Connecting Creatives this Thursday!

Don’t miss our informal networking meet for creatives working with children and young people — this time with a Creative Careers focus.

Alongside the usual catch ups, connections and sector updates, we’ll be opening up a shared conversation about how we support and inspire young people from all backgrounds into creative careers in Sheffield — what’s already happening, what we’d like to do more of, and how we can work together.

We’re excited to be joined by Laura Poole and colleagues from Sheffield The Sheffield College (who are also generously hosting us!, sharing insight from their brilliant work in this area.

Friendly, informal, all welcome (no worries if you're not a current Create Sheffield partner) — whether you come to share, listen, make new connections, or you just in it for the free tea & biscuits (no judgement☕🍪).

👉 1-2.30pm, Thursday 7th May, Room P5503, Sheffield College, Pennine 5.

🔗Full details on our website - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/createsheffieldevents/connecting-creatives-create-sheffield-monthly-networking

If you’d like to join and you’re not already on the list, send us a brief email to [email protected] & let us know you're coming🙏

💬 “young people should be able to see themselves in the future of digital and creative industries, and have real, accessible ways to get there - because talent and aspiration are everywhere, but opportunity isn’t always.” Ross Musgrove, Bravand Co-Founder and ‘professional nosy person’

Yes — we enthusiastically agree, and we’re excited to welcome Bravand/Fresh Meet CIC as new Create Sheffield partners 👋!

Bravand is a Sheffield based digital studio, and alongside this they run Fresh Meet CIC - a social enterprise opening up access to digital and creative careers for young people. Their work creates practical, accessible ways in through workshops, careers events, mentoring, work experience and paid internships.

📸 Photos show Fresh Meet CIC in action, delivering a recent hands on 'Careers in Digital' session with young people at Sheaf Training.

A pleasure to connect with Ross, Jilly and the team as the newest members of a network built around a shared belief in increasing, improving and equalising cultural opportunities for children and young people.

If this sounds like your work too, you can join us as a Create Sheffield partner — https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/becomeapartner

👉 Find out more - visit the Bravand/Fresh Meet websites, or follow on LinkedIn: bravand.com | freshmeet.co.uk | https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-meet-cic

The photos shared with this post were captured by Rob McPherson (tutor) and edited by Sam Barber (learner).

📢 Freelance Opportunity at Create Sheffield!

Do you have strong connections with people and organisations working in Sheffield’s youth work sector? Are you interested in helping build stronger links between youth work, creative practitioners and cultural organisations across the city? If so, this could be for you.

Create Sheffield is looking for a well‑connected freelancer to help map creative and cultural activity happening in local youth work settings, and to build relationships that will strengthen arts and cultural provision for children and young people. This short-term role is part of ongoing partnership work led by Create Sheffield.

💸 Fee: £1,000
📅 Deadline to apply: 19 May
📍 Interviews (in person): 21 May

To apply, please send a CV and short covering letter (including your day rate).
Full details are on our website — https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/work-with-us/creativeyouthwork

We want this opportunity to be as accessible as possible and welcome applications from people who are underrepresented in the creative and cultural sector. If you need information in a different format or would like to discuss access requirements or adjustments, please get in touch.

Please share with anyone who might be interested 💬

This role is is supported by generous funding from Sheffield City Council, via the Cultural Networks Fund - https://culture.sheffield.gov.uk/culture-strategy/sector-news/cultural-networks-fund-awardees

🤩 Opportunities! 🤩

👉 Our friends at RivelinCo are recruiting for a new role, Neighbourhood Producer, working for and with communities, with a focus on adults & intergenerational projects (we love those!) in North Sheffield - 24 hrs per week, apply by Monday 11th May https://rivelinco.org/jobs/neighbourhood-producer/

👉 If you're a Yorkshire based East Asian or South East Asian creative who's interested in creating your own work for live performance, have a look at this free week-long course from New Earth Theatre starting 6th July. This would be great for young and emerging artists. https://www.newearththeatre.org.uk/news/new-earth-theatre-makers-academy-york-2026

👉 If you're a small Arts Organisation and SME (under 100 employees), a new wage subsidy scheme from Opportunity Sheffield at Sheffield City Council means you could grow your team and support a young person's development! Receive between £3,171 and £5,128 per placement for a 12-week subsidised role. Co-ordinated by Zak Ahmed, email him at [email protected] or call 0114 2052556 to find out more. https://pathways-to-work.campaign.sheffield.gov.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/opportunityshef

🌟 Want more like this? Follow us, or Join the Create Sheffield network as a partner! It's free and open to those working across the arts, cultural, community and education sectors who care about young people's access to the arts. Receive our partner newsletter and much more - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/becomeapartner

✨ Introducing our new Create Sheffield Network Spotlight ✨

Every day, artists and creative professionals across Sheffield work to nourish creativity in children and young people's lives. Follow our series to meet them!

First up: Sam Groom 🎨

Sam is a Sheffield-based printmaker and educator working with paper, fabric, wood and ceramics to make bold, colourful relief prints, textile products and sculptural artworks.

Her work with young people is rooted in the belief that art is joyful and builds important transferable skills. She loves working with young people, supporting them to build confidence in their own creativity and to believe they can be artists.

Her latest project is a lovely example of this in action. Following her work painting two lions for the Pride of Yorkshire Sculpture Trail, she's collaborating with young creatives at RivelinCo to design and paint their own lion cub. The finished sculpture, named Starling, will be displayed in the window of HQ during the trail. 🦁

Sam works with large and small groups, from early years to 16+ - get in touch with her to develop a project to suit your chosen theme or topic.

🔍 Follow Sam's work on Facebook or get in touch via her website or Create Sheffield profile: https://samanthagroom.co.uk/ or https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/arts-culture-partners-2/samanthagroom

💡 Discover more remarkable creatives in our website directory - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/partners - or sign up to our newsletter for much more like this - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/getupdates

🤝 If you're working with children & young people in Sheffield, join us! Become part of the Create Sheffield network (it's free 💸) - https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/becomeapartner



Image credits: Sam Groom

👋 Hi Creatives and Arts & Culture professionals 👋

Work with with children and young people in Sheffield? 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦

... then come along to CONNECTING CREATIVES, our regular informal networking event THIS MORNING Thursday 4th December 10-11.30, in the Adelphi Room . This time + festive treats 🎄❄️🎁. All welcome!

Why come? 🤔
🔊Share updates with others from the creative ecosystem
📰 Learn about funding opportunities and hear sector news
🤝 Meet new collaborators and friends
🤗 Get a warm supportive welcome
🍪(Last but not least) enjoy free tea and (nice) biscuits!

If that's not enough, check out what other artists have said about Connecting Creatives 👆👈

For more info (inc. dates of upcoming meetings), to subscribe to our newsletter and more, follow the link in our bio 🌐

If you'd like to attend and there's anything we can do to make the event more accessible for you, let us know!

Hope to see you 🙌

Laura and Zelda