Working with the festival organiser, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the County Council’s Hampshire Careers Hub is enabling six schools to each partner with an arts business to develop a vibrant blend of acts to feature at this year’s Basingstoke Festival, taking place between 20 June and 6 July. The project will also enable students to achieve the Arts Award from Trinity College in London – a qualification open to those aged 25 and under which can be achieved at five levels, through any art form, from music and dance to pottery and drumming.
Funded by the County Council and The Careers and Enterprise Company, this Hampshire Careers Hub initiative will provide students with work experience that gives them the opportunity to build skills in communication and team building, problem-solving and creativity as well as develop confidence and the ability for self-expression.
Councillor Zoe Huggins, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transformation and People said: “This is a really exciting initiative which will open up a pathway for young people who have a flair for art, imaginative thinking, and an interest in performance to gain some real-life, valuable experience, starting with school workshops delivered by visiting Artists, as well as work experience at their partner Artist’s work space, through to performing on the day at the Festival.
“The creative industries contribute billions of pounds annually to the UK economy and offer a wide range of career opportunities from design, media, and production to acting, music and dance. This experience will stand the students in good stead for their future careers, regardless of whether that ends up being within the performing arts, as the skills they’ll learn are highly transferable to a wide range of other fields. I hope this is the first of many such initiatives to be replicated across the county.”
The Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Kerry Morrow said: “Basingstoke Festival showcases the best local and national talent and champions work created for new audiences giving visitors a chance to enjoy music, dance, visual arts, street theatre and much more.
“We are delighted to be part of this partnership which will give students a unique opportunity to play a key role in helping us to deliver the 2025 Basingstoke Festival. As well as building key skills that they will be able to use in any role, students will also get hands-on experience in the creative arts industry which we hope will spark their passion for a career in the arts.”
Festival performances will include circus, puppetry, music, street theatre, visual arts, and dance. As part of the project, students will also get to work on marketing, production, and the event planning elements of the festival, learning about different career paths in the creative industries.
Basingstoke Festival is an annual, free outdoor arts festival that celebrates arts, heritage, culture, and community. It aims to support local creative talent while showcasing national and international artists.