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.
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