Fresh perspectives on Stockton’s cultural future
Zest Theatre was commissioned to bring young people's voices into the development of Stockton-on-Tees' Town of Culture bid. Across 10 creative workshops, we worked with 174 young people from schools, colleges and Bright Minds Big Futures to explore what growing up in Stockton feels like, what matters to them and what they imagine for their town's future.
Rather than simply asking what cultural activities young people wanted, we started with their lives. Using Zest's creative consultation approach, we combined playful exercises, private writing and open conversations to build trust, spark ideas and make space for different voices. We followed where young people took us, hearing everything from pride and belonging to frustration, ambition and some wonderfully imaginative ideas. By creating different ways to contribute, we could hear from young people who might not usually feel confident speaking up.
We captured hundreds of contributions, bringing them together into an anonymised youth voice archive and a Findings and Recommendations report. Working with Bright Minds Big Futures, we also tested emerging programme ideas and developed a youth-informed creative brief to help shape what happens next. The result was more than a snapshot of young people's opinions. It gave the Town of Culture team a deeper understanding of the people they want to reach, alongside practical insights to inform creative decisions.
For Zest, this is what meaningful youth consultation looks like: combining creative practice, skilled facilitation and thoughtful analysis to turn young people's experiences into something that can genuinely influence what happens next. It's an approach that can help cultural programmes, organisations and places make better-informed decisions with young people, rather than simply on their behalf.
