Looking Back on 2022
/As we lock up the office for the year and head off on our Christmas holidays, it’s time to look back on the last 12 months at Zest!
Back in January, 2022 felt like it was going to be a real test…and it REALLY was! The Covid related funding that had sustained us through the pandemic ended on 31st Dec 2021. Could we sustain ourselves financially despite nothing really being ‘back to normal’ yet? Could we keep all the artistic innovations and equitable choices we’d implemented throughout the pandemic without compromise?
The good news is that despite everything, we made it through whilst staying true to all those innovations and choices! 2022 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!
Let’s take a look at our 2022 best bits…
All Year
Future Proof
Zest’s Youth Advisory Board
Let’s start with the most important people, shall we? This lot are the very best of us! Meeting remotely as paid consultants, our youth advisory board draws on the diverse voices of young people from 15 towns across the country. Their task? To help us ensure Zest is the best it can be for other young people like them. No area of the company is off limits; from the rewriting of policies to the conception of brand-new work, they work with us all year round to ensure Zest is Future Proof in years to come.
All Year
Exploring the Future of Lincoln
An ambitious research project for our home city
This year, Zest facilitated an ambitious research project with over 1,000 young people across Lincoln. Commissioned by city-wide partners, including the University of Lincoln and City of Lincoln Council, Zest met 10% of Lincoln’s 10-19 population through workshops designed to capture their vision for the future of their city. We've now compiled these findings into an extensive report that’s now being used by partners from all sectors to shape strategy for Lincoln over the coming decade. Zest continues to advocate for the voices we heard wherever we go!
June - September
The Forum
An installation to contemplate a better world
Commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council, The Forum was our brand new installation for 2022! Fuelled by the inspirational words of 400 young people from Lincolnshire, The Forum is a pop-up town square, colourfully created to gather people of all ages in the heart of their community. The installation toured to 4 communities across the county, providing a space to think, discuss ideas, and imagine the future inspired by the next generation. The Forum is set to tour nationally from 2023!
September - November
Refresh Darlington
An installation inspiring school communities
For the second year running, we delivered our Refresh project for 120 children at three primary schools in Darlington. Our aim? To create space for children to reflect on their experience of the last few years and release the voice of a generation. Their words have now been turned into vibrant artworks, ready to be found on banners and posters inside and outside their school! Look out for more Refresh projects in Stockton-on Tees and Medway in 2023!
October - November
monolith Listening Sessions
An audio adventure into eternity
Developed with young people from across the country, monolith is an audio-based experience that uses meditation and mindfulness to take you on an adventure just beyond your perception. This year we toured monolith across the East Midlands and Barnsley as an in-person experience. Wearing wireless headphones, participants got comfy on squishy Yoga Mats to discover the wonders of the universe, before taking a monolith gift box away with them!
November
NPO
Zest Theatre joins Arts Council England’s National Portfolio
In November, it was announced that Zest would become an NPO and receive £540,000 of public funding over the next 3 years. 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. Becoming an NPO is a huge milestone for Zest, recognising the national significance of the company’s work over the last fifteen years, and its contribution to Lincolnshire’s cultural ecology.
