Category: Project

The Jane Who? Club

Posted on November 5, 2025 by - Project

In Focus: The Jane Who Club

As part of the Jane Austen 250 celebrations, Southampton Forward supported In Focus to run an eight-week creative residency for young people at God’s House Tower. During the project, the group explored Jane Austen’s life and legacy and went on to lead a series of creative workshops inspired by her work. Visitors were also able to enjoy the rest of God’s House Tower, where Jane Austen’s travelling writing desk was on loan from The British Library.

With thanks to the artists: J Pyrite, Gazelle Goode, Sophie Englyst

The Austentatious Ball

Posted on November 4, 2025 by - Project

The Austentatious Ball

Produced by ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, commissioned by Mayflower and supported by Southampton Forward.

The Austentacious Ball was a low-barrier, mass participation performance event held in Southampton’s Guildhall Square in August 2025. Celebrating identity, belonging and community, it reimagined the traditional 18th-century Regency era ball for a contemporary audience.Through dance, movement and self-expression, the event brought together 100 local participants as guests in a vibrant celebration of community, creating an inclusive and welcoming experience for performers and audiences alike.

From grandeur and glitter to gothic flair or favourite tracksuits, guests dressed to express and took part in a dance extravaganza rooted in the real stories, voices, and styles of today’s communities.

Also supported by Southampton Forward’s founding city partners

The Last Rose of Summer

Posted on October 31, 2025 by - Project

The Last Rose of Summer

The Last Rose of Summer was a brand new one-act musical celebrating Jane Austen’s enduring legacy and her special connection to Southampton. Developed as part of the nationwide Austen 250 celebrations, the project brought together an all-female creative team and a cast of 50 talented local young people to reimagine Austen’s world through music, dance, and storytelling. Supported by Southampton Forward, this fresh and contemporary production offered an inspiring new take on one of Britain’s most beloved writers, blending Regency elegance with modern creativity.

SO: Cultured

14th July 2025

Sara Scott: A fresh take on Jane Austen at Mayflower Studios

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Also supported by Southampton Forward’s founding city partners

Tapestry Festival

Posted on October 31, 2025 by - Project

Tapestry Festival

TAPESTRY Festival was a free two-day music festival held at Westquay Esplanade on 19 and 20 July 2025, bringing live music, new commissions and participatory activity to the heart of Southampton against the backdrop of the city’s medieval walls.

Sponsored and hosted by Westquay, the festival brought together internationally recognised artists with Southampton talent, creating a platform for live music spanning different genres, cultures and traditions.

TAPESTRY formed part of Southampton’s celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Inspired by Austen’s own enjoyment of music and folk traditions, the festival explored what the music she was drawn to might look and sound like today – focusing on contemporary artists whose work embraced storytelling, experimentation and musical traditions from around the world.

The connection continued beyond the main stage. Screen content between performances showcased locally created work linked to Jane Austen 250, including Jane Who? by In Focus Education and Development and song performances by local schools following workshops delivered by Southampton & Isle of Wight Music.

Audiences could also take part in free creative activities throughout the weekend, including African drumming with African Activities and movement and percussion workshops led by Yes! Creative Beats.

Performances from TAPESTRY were recorded by BBC Radio 3 and subsequently broadcast as part of its Music Planet programme in August 2025, sharing music from the festival with a national audience.

By combining a high-quality live music programme with new commissions, local talent, participation and Southampton’s literary heritage, TAPESTRY created a major free cultural experience for the city – connecting its stories and creative heritage with the music and artists shaping Southampton today.

Produced by Southampton Forward and sponsored by Westquay.

Programmed by David Jones, with input from event partners Southampton and Isle of Wight Music.

Supported by Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and Southampton Forward’s founding city partners: Southampton City Council, University of Southampton, Solent University, GO! Southampton, Paris Smith LLP, and Mayflower. Media partners include Songlines Magazine. Highlights of Tapestry Festival were broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Music Planet during August 2025.

Tapestry News

Press release

1st April 2025

TAPESTRY – A festival of world-class music and culture in Southampton

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Blog

6th June 2025

TAPESTRY Festival Headliner – Penguin Café

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Press release

5th June 2025

TAPESTRY- Final headline act announced Penguin Café

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Alice Zawadzki

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Goblin Band

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Muireann Bradley

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Sam Lee

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Seckou Keita

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Blog

7th April 2025

Tapestry Festival Headliner – Soumik Datta

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SO: Cultured

7th July 2025

Arthur Jeffes: Penguin Cafe playing Tapestry Festival 19th July

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Blog

9th July 2025

Full Tapestry Line-Up

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SO: Cultured

23rd June 2025

Kath Page: Fostering inclusivity through Tapestry Festival

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SO: Cultured

30th June 2025

Pooja Angra: Performing at Tapestry Festival 20th July

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SO: Cultured

9th June 2025

Graham Belton: Southampton Salty Sea Dogs: celebrating our maritime heritage

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SO: Cultured

16th June 2025

Kwame Bakoji-Hume: Sharing the richness of African culture

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Press release

13th June 2025

Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday your way

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SO: Cultured

14th July 2025

Sara Scott: A fresh take on Jane Austen at Mayflower Studios

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Sponsored by

Tapestry Media Partner

Event Partner

Supported by:

Also supported by Southampton Forward’s founding city partners

Your Stories

Posted on October 30, 2025 by - Project

Your Stories was a programme of free creative workshops designed and led by young people in Southampton, delivered by Artswork in partnership with In Focus Education & Development, and supported by Southampton Forward as part of the city’s Jane Austen 250 programme.

Running from August to October 2025, the project delivered eight workshops across the city, giving young people opportunities to explore poetry, collage, fashion, textiles, painting and cartooning. Inspired by Jane Austen’s work, participants were encouraged to tell their own stories and explore their experiences through different creative approaches.

Sessions took place in community venues including libraries, October Books and Eagle Lab, with 214 people taking part in creative workshops and seven creative professionals employed through the programme.

The work created by participants was brought together in a collective exhibition at Southampton Central Library, seen by 3,979 people, alongside a public celebration event marking Jane Austen’s birthday.

By putting young people at the heart of the design and delivery of the programme, Your Stories created opportunities for creative expression, skills development and intergenerational exchange, bringing local voices and perspectives into Southampton’s wider Jane Austen 250 celebrations.

Blog

23rd October 2025

Artswork: Abstract Painting Workshop

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Blog

16th October 2025

Artswork: Cartoons workshop

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Blog

16th October 2025

Artswork: Poetry workshop

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Blog

28th October 2025

Artswork: Textiles Workshop

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In Training for a Heroine at God’s House Tower

Posted on October 24, 2025 by - Project

In Training for a Heroine

Exhibition by ‘a space’ arts at God’s House Tower

In Training for a Heroine brought Jane Austen’s travelling writing desk to God’s House Tower, where it was exhibited on loan from the British Library from 15 November 2024 to 23 February 2025.

Gifted to Austen by her father for her 19th birthday, the portable mahogany desk was designed to fold into a case so it could travel with her. Complete with a secret drawer for treasured possessions, letters and manuscripts, it became a fitting symbol of Austen as a young, ambitious writer at the beginning of her career.

Through the desk, personal letters and manuscripts, the exhibition explored Austen’s formative years and the experiences that helped shape her writing, including her connections with Southampton, where she lived in 1783 and again from 1806 to 1809.

The free exhibition was presented by ‘a space’ arts at God’s House Tower as part of its Jane Austen at GHT programme and Southampton’s wider celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth.

Southampton Forward supported the project by brokering the relationship between the British Library and God’s House Tower. This resulted in God’s House Tower being accepted as a venue able to host national loans, creating a legacy beyond the exhibition itself.

“Loaning an item of national significance for the first time was a huge privilege, incredibly exciting, and a great learning experience all in one go. For Gods House Tower to have achieved the status of being registered as a secure regional gallery that can loan from national institutions is a huge achievement”

Dan Crow – Director, ‘a space’ arts

SO: Cultured

2nd April 2024

Dan Crow: Artist on vibrant creative community in Southampton

“Life and Southampton would be very bland without the arts”, says city centre art gallery director  

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Press release

22nd March 2024

‘a space’ arts and Southampton Forward secure nationally significant loan of Jane Austen’s travelling writing desk

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Press release

5th November 2024

Two Weeks Until Jane Austen’s Writing Desk Arrives in Southampton for 250th Anniversary Events!

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Supported by

SO:Inclusive

Posted on September 17, 2023 by - Project

SO: Inclusive

SO:Inclusive was a programme of workshops and shared learning designed to support Southampton’s cultural and creative organisations to make Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) a meaningful part of how they work.

Delivered in partnership with the University of Southampton, John Hansard Gallery and EDI consultant Amanda Parker, the programme brought organisations from across the city together to explore real challenges, share experiences and consider how lasting change could be made collectively as well as within individual organisations.

Across eight sessions, 39 organisations took part in workshops, with the programme culminating in a city-wide sharing event attended by 41 organisations. Facilitated by Amanda Parker, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on what had been learned and to co-create an Inclusive Charter for the city.

The programme also resulted in an online resource sharing practical tools, learning and examples of best practice, helping organisations continue to develop their approach to inclusion beyond the workshops.

SO:Inclusive formed part of Southampton Forward’s wider work to strengthen the city’s cultural sector and support Southampton’s ambition to become a proudly inclusive city.

“I enjoyed the openness of the sessions and the opportunity to work on real challenges. We all need to own what happens afterwards and how we come together to move the dial on EDI issues as a city”

– Workshop series participant

Amanda Parker is the Founder of Inc Arts UK, a national centre for advocacy for the creative, contractual and economic rights of the UK’s ethnically diverse arts sector workforce. As CEO, Parker led Inc Arts to produce sector-leading research and consultancy on equity, diversity and inclusion in creative and cultural organisations. Amanda was one of this year’s recipients of the Olivier Awards Industry Recognition Award for her work in this field.

Amanda Parker’s career spans screen, broadcast, arts and culture – including Director, London Short Film Festival and Editor of Arts Professional magazine. A former BBC programme maker and arts campaigns manager, she’s a Trustee of the RSC, and advisor to the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity.

“We’re a creative culture and a creative nation; we grasp the new and we’re ready to explore. We always have been”