How Winchester is helping young people explore creative careers

A new Winchester page has launched on the Culture Connects website, shining a spotlight on the wide range of cultural activity taking place across the district and the partnerships helping to shape opportunities for local people.

One area of focus is supporting young people to better understand creative careers and the many different routes into the creative and cultural sector.

Through the Winchester District Cultural Strategy Collective, led by Winchester City Council and supported by a network of cultural, education and creative sector partners, a range of activities have been developed to help young people explore career opportunities, build skills and connect with local creative professionals.

The programme responds directly to conversations that took place during the development of the Winchester District Cultural Strategy. While many young people expressed an interest in creative careers, there was often uncertainty about the pathways available, the skills required and the opportunities that existed locally.

Rather than relying on a single event or placement, partners recognised the need to create a series of opportunities that allow young people to engage in different ways and at different stages of their journey.

Young people leading the way

In 2025, Winchester Youth Nights was established, bringing together a cohort of young people to design and deliver creative events for their peers.

Following a series of conversations about the opportunities they wanted to see locally, the group organised two open mic nights, taking responsibility for planning, promotion, delivery and technical production. The project gave participants practical experience while creating a welcoming space for other young people to get involved in Winchester’s creative scene.

“The team are really excited about being able to give the young people the opportunity they asked for.”

Seeing creative careers first-hand

In 2026, the initiative expanded with the launch of From behind closed doors, a project that opened up creative studios and workspaces to young people.

The programme offered a chance to see what happens behind the scenes in local creative businesses and organisations. Ten young people took part in a live design challenge, responding to a professional brief, while four young people supported the exhibition during the festival weekend. More than 100 young people visited the exhibition and open studios, gaining insight into the realities of creative practice and the range of roles within the sector.

“It was so great to see so many happy people being inspired by the open studios they visited.”

Alongside these initiatives, the Culture and Creative Sector Development Officer has worked with university students and graduates over a number of years, sharing insights into business planning, event management and creative enterprise, and highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of building a creative career within Winchester and the wider region.

A new Creative Careers Fair

This November, Winchester will host its first dedicated Creative Careers Fair, bringing together creative professionals, education providers and careers advisers under one roof.

The event will give young people and their families an opportunity to have informal conversations with people working across the creative industries, hear first-hand career stories and gain a clearer understanding of the skills, qualifications and experiences that can help them pursue creative work.

“I’m really excited to be involved in the day. I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

To date, around 350 young people have engaged with creative careers activity through these initiatives.

By combining talks, open studios, practical experiences, events and networking opportunities, partners are helping to build a stronger ecosystem of support for young people interested in creative careers. Together, these activities are helping young people see that creative careers are not only possible, but that pathways and support exist both locally and nationally to help them get there.

To find out more about cultural activity, partnerships and opportunities across the district, visit the new Winchester page.