H&F Youth Festival Offers Chance to Explore Creative Industries
Seventy free events taking place over six days
The festival is part of the wider Young People’s Borough of Culture initiative. Picture: LBHF
October 19, 2026
Hammersmith & Fulham’s Young People’s Borough of Culture programme is preparing to take over the borough this half-term with a six-day Youth Arts Festival designed and curated entirely for – and by – young people.
Running from 26 to 31 October, the festival brings more than seventy free workshops, performances, talks and creative challenges to venues across H&F, opening doors to the arts for residents aged 13 to 25 and offering practical routes into creative careers.
The festival is part of the wider Young People’s Borough of Culture initiative, a two-year programme that expands access to arts education and creative employment. The scheme aims to open up pathways into creative careers for young people aged 13–25 through local arts events, project funding and more. It has already delivered borough-wide projects such as School Arts Week, which offered every state and SEND primary school a free creative workshop, and Our Place, a grant scheme where young people propose and select their own cultural projects. The Youth Arts Festival is its most ambitious undertaking yet.
Across the six days, young people can explore almost every corner of the creative industries. Those curious about performance can devise a brand-new show in the PLAY IN 4 DAYS challenge, learn screen acting with Hamza Jeetooa, or step into the world of clowning, improvisation or musical theatre dance. Ballet Black opens its studio for an immersive open day, while the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre hosts a New Writing Night showcasing responses to the prompt London: 2036.
For aspiring writers and journalists, the programme offers a five-session Journalism School, beginners and advanced poetry workshops, accessible poetry sessions, and a Halloween-themed masterclass on how to write a novel. Cynthia Murphy, the bestselling young adult author, leads both a horror writing workshop and a Q&A on publishing. Young people can also learn the fundamentals of playwriting, musical theatre writing, or literary careers through sessions led by industry professionals.
Music lovers have an equally rich menu: band jam sessions with The Riff Music Academy, clinics for aspiring session musicians, funk and jazz-blues guitar masterclasses, and hands-on music production workshops. The festival also welcomes Bimini for a DJ set that promises to be one of the week’s standout events.
Visual artists can dive into sculpture, still-life painting, animation, clay crafts, crochet, K-pop fan art, comic and manga illustration, product design, textile design and fashion printing. Many sessions emphasise sustainability, including Tenderfoot Theatre’s eco-theatre workshop and Georgie Lynch’s upcycling and costume design classes.
The festival also shines a light on the behind-the-scenes roles that make the creative industries function. Young people can learn about wig and hair design, theatre producing, facilitation skills, technical theatre roles, special effects make-up, brand creation, and the business side of freelancing. As one workshop description puts it, participants will “leave with an understanding of what you’re getting into.”
Several sessions focus on confidence-building and professional development. Revere Arts hosts clinics on navigating creative careers and presenting yourself in professional environments, while the BBC and early-career filmmakers offer myth-busting advice on breaking into film and television. The Chelsea FC Foundation’s Blue Creator Collective provides hands-on experience in media and music production.
The festival’s inclusive ethos runs throughout the programme. AMICI Dance Theatre Company leads fully accessible dance workshops open to disabled and non-disabled young people, while Write London offers accessible poetry sessions designed to welcome participants of all abilities and experience levels.
Every event is free, and young people can attend as many sessions as they wish. Whether they want to try something new, build skills, meet industry professionals or simply enjoy a creative half-term, the Youth Arts Festival offers a rare chance to explore the arts without barriers.
The organisers describe the week as “giving young people the opportunity to get involved with creative experiences and training – and it’s all absolutely free.” It is a celebration of youth creativity, a showcase of local talent, and a practical gateway into the cultural industries for the next generation of artists, makers and storytellers.
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