Young talent to 'reimagine' Rotherham's creative industries

The new cohort of trainees, aged 16-25, will complete paid placements of between nine and 12 months at organisations including Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, FLUX Rotherham, Children’s Capital of Culture, and Rotherham Music.

They join seven other young people who are completing existing traineeships, some of whom have had their contract extended, as well as another four trainees who have been offered new alumni roles across the wider Children’s Capital of Culture programme. Recruitment for a further 15 traineeships will take place over the next three months.

Sarah Christie, Programme Manager at Children’s Capital of Culture, said: “Since 2022, over 120 young people have been in paid employment across seventeen different local organisations thanks to the Children’s Capital of Culture trainee scheme. This has allowed young people interested in a creative career path gain experience at some of Rotherham’s most progressive cultural organisations. 70 per cent went onto further employment, education or training within three months of their traineeships ending.

“The trainee scheme is just one example of the amazing legacy we’re creating through Children’s Capital of Culture. It’s about giving young people lifechanging opportunities which broaden their horizons and open up creative careers. We love hearing what our trainees do next and are really proud of all of them. We’re equally grateful to the amazing organisations who support the scheme, playing their part in positively impacting the future of Rotherham’s young people.”

Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Green Spaces, Cllr Lynda Marshall, adds: “The ultimate goal of Children’s Capital of Culture is to support more children and young people across the borough to create a bolder, more ambitious and creative future for themselves, increasing overall pride and aspiration in our borough and nurturing a skilled young workforce that can make a real difference to Rotherham’s future.

“It’s really fantastic to have these young change-makers on board, sharing their brilliant ideas, working with more communities to celebrate the talent of Rotherham, and giving them real skills and experience that will eventually improve their life outcomes. They are an asset to our team, and their borough.”

The newest trainees will undertake a wide variety of projects during Children’s Capital of Culture’s festival year and beyond. FLUX Rotherham has employed Quina Smith as a trainee community producer. During her one-year traineeship, Quina will work on a range of community-led arts, culture and creativity projects.

Maisie Dorlin has joined the Children’s Capital of Culture team as creative learning assistant, where she will develop a primary creative careers resource and manage the creative learning newsletter, amongst other projects.

Two trainees have joined Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust as creative producers. Louise Webb and Mrat Frezghi will be producing a range of videos for the Trust. They will also be designing and delivering two film festivals.

William Harris has been recruited as music events trainee by Rotherham Music. He will work with the Rotherham Music team, key creative partners, and young people across the borough to come up with ideas, and to plan and deliver music-related activities.

Becky Foster, trainee producer at Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, is one of seven young people who’ve had their traineeships extended thanks to new funding. As part of her role, Becky is developing two launch events to kick off Wentworth Woodhouse’s biggest exhibition of the year, House of Fun, as part of Children’s Capital of Culture: a fun-filled family evening and the stately home’s first ever silent disco.

Becky said: “My traineeship so far has been nothing short of spectacular. I have never been in a role that has nurtured and encouraged my creativity as much. Working at Wentworth Woodhouse has given me experiences and taught me skills I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am surrounded by incredible people who are dedicated to making Wentworth Woodhouse into this amazing, cultural beacon and I am lucky to have mentors who care so much about the work they do.”

Jen Booth, Exhibition & Interpretation Manager at Wentworth Woodhouse Trust, which currently employs three trainees, said: “Becky has made an extraordinary impact at Wentworth Woodhouse. She has brought huge amounts of creativity and enthusiasm to every task and shown her ability to take initiative and deliver a project from start to finish.

“Becky recently led an event for over 400 attendees, she brings a fresh perspective and with her enthusiasm and adaptability, she has embedded herself across the entire organisation and become a valued member of the team.”

For more information about Children’s Capital of Culture, head to www.childrenscapitalofculture.co.uk.