Take a look behind the scenes at Zest Theatre to find out more about what we do and how we do it.
Toby Ealden, Zest’s Artistic Director & CEO, reflects on why Zest’s summer 2026 programme marks the beginning of a bigger commitment. Against the backdrop of the recent debate around banning young people from social media, he explores why creating more places where young people can belong, connect and be heard will shape Zest’s work over the next four years.
Read MoreA summer of opportunity for young people across Lincoln—with more free creative spaces, more places to belong and more ways to get involved than ever before.
Read MoreMeet Zone Go – a brand-new mobile youth space bringing free creativity, games, music, art and hangout spaces directly into communities. Developed from everything we've learned through The Zone, it pops up in parks, estates, village greens and town centres, creating welcoming spaces where young people can chill, create and be themselves.
Read More2025 took Zest into more public spaces than ever before. From The Zone and Sound Board to new Refresh installations, Future Proof’s leadership and our move into the Barbican, this year has been shaped by connection, creativity and young people taking up space. Here’s our Zest Wrapped 2025.
Read MoreBritain has a crisis of connection. Public services have been stripped back, youth centres have closed, and the places that once held communities together are disappearing. When connection thins, something else fills the gap: isolation, anxiety and, too often, division.
And yet, in high streets, parks, festivals, events and market days this summer, we saw the opposite play out. We saw what happens when you put something vibrant, welcoming and human into public space and say, “This is for you.”
At Zest this summer, space became a verb. It became something we made deliberately and collaboratively, with young people shaping the experience every step of the way.
Read MoreAfter many years at The Terrace, we’ve joined the city’s new space for creativity and collaboration — a beautifully restored building that reflects the confidence and potential of Lincoln’s growing cultural community. This move marks an exciting new chapter for Zest as we continue to connect people, champion creativity, and shape the future of Lincolnshire’s creative landscape.
Read MoreHow Zest’s summer 2025 programme is bringing public space to life for young people
This summer, we’re going big. The Zone is going on tour – and Sound Board, our brand-new, genre-bending show, is hitting the road too. But this isn’t just a programme drop – it’s a response to a world that too often tells young people they don’t belong. So this summer, we’re offering platforms for unity and creativity – for communities to come together, to have fun but also grapple with the big stuff, for young people to lead, and for connection to grow. We’re making space – with young people, for young people – and building it with the communities we serve.
Read MoreZest is celebrating a major win at the inaugural We Are Creative Awards. The company proudly won the prestigious Best Product Design of the Year award, marking a significant achievement for the Lincoln-based team and the young people they support. Zest Theatre was recognised for creating The Zone, a bold and inclusive pop-up space where young people can thrive. The Best Product Design of the Year award celebrated The Zone’s innovative approach, developed in collaboration with AirClad, whose modular structures transformed public spaces into vibrant, welcoming environments where young people can chill, create, and be themselves.
Read MoreYoung voices aren’t just shaping Zest’s work—they’re leading it. Over the past four years, Zest have reimagined what it means for young people to take the lead. In January 2025, we celebrated two significant milestones: appointing two young trustees to our board and creating a paid leadership role within our youth advisory consultants, Future Proof. These announcements sparked conversations and questions about how we’ve achieved this. If you’re curious about our approach, this blog is for you.
Read MoreZest is proud to announce a significant step in its mission to amplify youth voices: the appointment of two young trustees and a newly created paid leadership role within Future Proof, Zest’s youth advisory consultants. These appointments mark a significant milestone in Zest’s commitment to embedding youth voice at every level of the organisation. From creative projects to governance, Zest has spent years developing pathways for young people to lead confidently, shaping its work and contributing to a growing movement for youth leadership across the arts sector.
Read MoreThis year, Zest hit all the right notes: epic partnerships, bold new artworks, youth-led brilliance, strategy in action, and unforgettable moments on the road. We launched innovative pop-up youth arts spaces with The Zone, and made our mark in new locations and beyond to reach a massive 401,000 people! Ready to relive the highlights? Let’s dive into Zest Wrapped 2024.
Read MoreWhat a year 2023 has been! As we lock up Zest HQ and head off on our well-deserved festive holiday, join us as we reflect on the last 12 months: an epic year of graft, changes, and growth. A year that saw Zest go BIG, reaching over 424,000 people with our work! Let’s look at our 2023 best bits…
Read MoreFor the first time since the pandemic began, Zest is back with a brand new show!
Written by Bush Theatre’s Young Company Director, Katie Greenall, with new songs by Loop Artist Koko Brown, Camp Phoenix is a show packed with adventure, new music, and vital life lessons, featuring a dynamic cast of professional performers and local young people who helped develop the show.
This new show has been commissioned by Lincoln Arts Centre, Barnsley Civic, and ARC Stockton and will be our first touring production since becoming an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
Read MoreZest Theatre’s Board are thrilled to appoint Adam Pownall, who joins Zest from his current position as Senior Producer at Hull Truck Theatre, as Executive Producer of Zest Theatre at a momentous time for the organisation.
Read MoreFor the first time since the pandemic, Zest is making a brand-new production!!! Throughout January and February 2023, Zest will travel the country to Research and Develop (R&D) the yet-to-be-titled new show. Across the process, we’ll meet over 700 children and young people from Lincoln, Stockton, Canterbury, Barnsley, and Lewisham.
Read More2022 was another year of big lows but, thankfully, even bigger highs. We’re still here, we’re still open, and still thriving for the communities we serve. And thanks to the news that we’re becoming an NPO, the future has never looked brighter!
Read MoreWe are beyond excited to announce that Zest Theatre will join Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from April 2023! Earlier today, it was announced that Zest has been awarded £180,000 of public income every year for the next 3 years, amounting to over £540,000 of support. This investment will enable Zest to create increasingly transformative, high-quality theatre and cultural experiences for thousands of young people across the length of the country between 2023 - 2026.
Read MoreZest is making space for Lincoln’s young people to hang out, get inspired, and shape the future of the city. For one weekend only, we’ll be taking over St Benedict’s Square in Lincoln with The Forum – a colourful, pop-up space for young people aged 11-18 to hang out in the city centre.
Read MoreThis summer, Zest Theatre will tour an interactive art installation to 5 locations across Lincolnshire. Fuelled by the words of the county’s young people, The Forum will create space for communities to think, discuss ideas, and imagine the future of Lincolnshire inspired by the next generation.
Read MoreZest is spending the first 3 months of 2022 facilitating an ambitious new research project with over 1,000 young people across our home city!
Commissioned by city-wide partners in Lincoln, Zest will meet 1,250 young people between January and March 2022. Over 50 workshops will be delivered in schools, colleges, and community groups, making space for Lincoln’s children and young people to share their vision for the future of the city.
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