Impact Stories

I secured a place on the first cohort of Children’s Capital of Culture traineeships in 2022, finding purpose and passion in helping others experience arts and culture in Rotherham.

At 22 years old, I am now the Engagement Manager for the Children’s Capital of Culture programme, making the whole thing happen alongside other young people from Rotherham who are genuinely changing the fortunes of our hometown.

We’re delivering youth events and making the town centre a more energetic place to be, encouraging more creativity in schools, giving young people access to more arts qualifications and skills, and giving work to young artists and creatives trying to get their first break here.

Young people do not need to leave Rotherham to work in the creative sector. There is so much talent in Rotherham, from the performers we’ve booked for music festivals, to young filmmakers who now work at Netflix. The legacy of these traineeship schemes is magical and many of the young people who are part of the programme are now established as photographers, illustrators, writers and artists, all making their mark in Rotherham and much further afield.

Children’s Capital of Culture is showing Rotherham through the eyes, ears and actions of its young people, and we’re loving our moment in the spotlight.

I was selected as the Young Presenter in Residence for Children’s Capital of Culture in 2024, an opportunity which changed everything for me. I’ve been lucky enough to present at events like the Rotherham Show, WOW Festival and the Christmas Lights Switch-On, and I even started my own radio show last year on Rotherham Radio. Children’s Capital of Culture has given me the platform to hone my craft and try so many new things.

2025 isn’t just about one epic year - it’s about creating something that lasts and showing Rotherham’s young people that this town is full of possibilities. It’s about time we backed ourselves and showed the world what Rotherham can do.

After achieving an English degree from Oxford and an English MA at York, I am now back home working as a Children’s Capital of Culture trainee, full-circling back to my Rotherham roots.

Children’s Capital of Culture is helping challenge regional inequality, giving young people opportunities that aren’t dependent on qualifications, and rewriting Rotherham’s narrative.

My traineeship at Skills Street, a new ‘world-of-work’ education centre, makes me feel like I’m making those big changes. I’m highlighting routes into creative industries and Rotherham’s own cultural and heritage organisations, giving more young people creative opportunities that can build their futures, and a better future for our borough.

My journey with Children’s Capital of Culture began in July 2024 when I became a collections and exhibitions trainee at Clifton Park Museum. I expected to have to move away from my hometown for a job in the cultural sector, but I am so lucky to have this all on my doorstep.

By offering roles in these sectors, Children’s Capital of Culture is allowing young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to develop a successful career in the creative and cultural industries.

I recently became the new Young Artist in Residence at Clifton Park Museum, an opportunity funded by Children’s Capital of Culture and Arts Council which aims to nurture emerging creative talent in Rotherham.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to showcase my art in one of Rotherham’s most loved landmarks and develop my practice through a six-month residency at the museum’s Test Space. I have received a £2,000 cash prize, a materials budget, and one-to-one mentoring with an award-winning visual artist.

After a Children’s Capital of Culture traineeship in 2023, I secured my dream job at Channel 4 last year. I now work as a Digital Production Apprentice in 4Studio, the digital side of Channel 4, helping to deliver social sponsorships and social branded entertainment campaigns.

Channel 4 apprenticeships have thousands of applicants, so I was truly honoured to be selected. I’m getting the opportunity to develop skills in editing, camera operating and running. I've been a runner on three digital production shoots, two of which were international.

Being a part of Children’s Capital of Culture in Rotherham was the first time I felt my creative dreams were recognised and I was never told to "be more realistic" when I shared my goals of wanting to become a film producer. The only response was "how can we help get you there?"

It gave me the chance to shine, and I took it! I'll forever be grateful for that.

I’ve lived in Rotherham since I was nine years old. I’ve never seen it like is now, so full of excitement and opportunity for young people like me.

I work as a Children’s Capital of Culture project manager trainee at Skills Street, a brand-new multidisciplinary careers venue in Rotherham. I’m helping young people get meaningful employment and secure a better future, inspiring them with my own story.

Being part of the Children’s Capital of Culture programme is a privilege. I feel like I’ve witnessed what true care and support looks like for young people and their futures. I’ve learnt so much and had a lot of fun in the process, and now I can’t wait to make my stamp on the world.

I was one of the first trainees on the Children’s Capital of Culture trainee programme. I worked at Wentworth Woodhouse for six months, learning how to make films with an amazing team of young people like me and our mentors. It taught me how to do adult stuff and gave me a lot of confidence and contacts.

It’s thanks to this that my career started to blossom. Wentworth Woodhouse is one of the UK’s best country house estates, so it’s often used as a film or TV set. Netflix was there to film the TV series ‘Bodies’ one day and I asked if I could shadow. From there, I got invited back to be on set and had more and more great opportunities to meet people and create my own contacts.

I’ve since made a career out of it. I’m currently a freelance marshal and locations assistant for TV production companies, working on some huge shows and films including Adolescence alongside Steven Graham and the cast.

Children’s Capital of Culture was the best thing I ever did. It gave me the contacts and confidence to realise my ambitions and work in the industry I’ve always wanted to work in. I’m working on my own films and creative projects in the background, with a dream to become a director one day.

Being part of Children’s Capital of Culture has been one of the most important and life-changing experiences for me. It’s more than just events and workshops - it’s been a journey of personal growth, creativity, and finding my voice.

Starting with my Bronze and Silver Arts Awards, I began to realise just how much I could achieve when I pushed myself creatively. I felt more like me than ever - free, creative, and proud of what I was doing. Now I’m working towards my Gold Arts Award, and developing my skills even further, taking on leadership roles, and learning so much about myself along the way.

I also feel lucky to be on the Youth Programming Panel, where I get to meet new people and share my thoughts, values, and opinions. It’s exciting to know that our voices matter, and that what we say helps shape real projects.

Through this journey, I’ve also had the chance to volunteer at inspiring events like the WOW Rotherham Festival (Women of the World) and Roots Carnival. Watching people dance, smile, and celebrate together at Roots was something I’ll never forget, and I loved being part of that.

Children’s Capital of Culture has helped shape the person I’m becoming. I want to see it expand even more so that other young people can have the same chances I did – the opportunity to be creative, be heard, and feel proud of themselves.

I was lucky enough to be offered an internship on the Young Artist in Residence programme for CCoC alongside another intern, Ren May, to help create new artwork for the town centre and make it a more vibrant, inspiring place to be.

With nods to our rich heritage, football culture and diverse community, our artwork is designed to make you feel proud of our town!

I feel like Children's Capital of Culture and the projects it is involved in are an inspiration to all Rotherham's children and young people because it gives them a voice and something to be proud of.

I’ve taken part in a number of Children’s Capital of Culture projects as a participant, but this year, I secured a paid role as a Heritage Producer on the fantastic Children’s Capital of Culture traineeship programme. This role is really exciting – it’s essentially a historian, and event manager rolled into one.

We’ve each been given one of Rotherham’s wards to call our own. My ward is Swallownest and Aughton and it’s my job to explore the local community and its heritage, working closely with the local library and the Aughton History Group. I’ll then come up with an event or project that celebrates this ward’s own unique identity, as part of Rotherham’s year as the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture.

It’s giving me some amazing experience that will set me up for a future in various fields including history, journalism, politics, education, and events.

It’s not just me that Children’s Capital of Culture is giving these opportunities to. I’ve seen so many different projects and groups offered to young people around Rotherham over the past year; as a result, you can really see how the vibe of Rotherham is changing for the better.

Rotherham seems warmer, with lots more opportunities, and an even greater sense of community than ever before.

I applied for a Children’s Capital of Culture traineeship at Hybrid3, an independent music studio in Sheffield, on the way back from seeing a heavy metal band in London. The post-concert feeling was hitting hard and I was going through the motions of “why can't I do something cool and creative for a living?”

At the start of my traineeship, I had imposter syndrome because I couldn't believe little old me from Rotherham would be able to work in such a cool music studio. Slowly I started to realise that I had skills I never knew I had.

I am now leading workshops in schools and festivals all about celebrating identity and creativity within Rotherham. I can talk for hours about how amazing the creative industry is, and how essential it is to promote creativity every day.

My involvement with Children’s Capital of Culture began in 2023, when I got a place on Wentworth Woodhouse’s Creative Producers traineeship, trained in filmmaking and digital skills to create a final film production and organise an event to premiere it. In just three months, we created a series of short films of a murder mystery, and incorporated them into alive, interactive, puzzle-solving event where audiences toured the whole of the stately home.

The opportunities it gave me were invaluable-including a paid runner job on an episode of BBC2’s long-running documentary series, Our Lives.

In 2024, I was fortunate enough to gain a second role through the Children’s Capital of Culture growing alumni network-organising equality, diversity and inclusion-related enrichment for students at Rotherham College. Now, aged 26, I’m a permanent, full-time personal development coordinator here at the college.

Children’s Capital of Culture has bolstered my prospects through the connections I’ve made, and it’s certainly made the whole of Rotherham’s future a whole lot brighter. To see my hometown transformed into an area full of potential and power is so important, and I hope Children’s Capital of Culture continues long-term to provide as many generations as possible with similar opportunities to those I’ve had.

I’m a Research and Evaluation Assistant at Flux Rotherham and freelance evaluator for a project in Rotherham and Sheffield. I started my Children’s Capital of Culture traineeship in March 2024.

The traineeship came at a perfect time for me and was my first real step into a career in the arts. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone and allowed me to grow so much. I have a lot of pride in my hometown now and feel much more connected to Rotherham. I didn’t have that before.

I think for so long, the narrative of Rotherham has almost been forced on young people; that this is what Rotherham is, this is what it looks like, this is its history, and the place is defined by it. We haven’t had the opportunity to change that narrative until now.

I now hope to stay living and working in Rotherham and having an impact in the area that I’m from. Children’s Capital of Culture has highlighted all the good things happening in Rotherham, particularly from all the arts and culture organisations here.

I recently secured my dream job, working as Marketing Officer at Leeds Playhouse. I don’t think that would’ve been possible without the amazing experience that being a Children’s Capital of Culture trainee has given me.

I worked as marketing assistant for Rotherham Museums. I learnt so much and loved working in the cultural and creative sector.

I have seen the diligence and determination of all those involved in Children’s Capital of Culture to make it succeed. It’s changed the perception of Rotherham through creating positive cultural experiences, employment opportunities, and broadening people’s minds of what Rotherham has to offer. Opportunities such as the traineeships allow young people to see a future career within the borough and to enter jobs within the cultural sector which have in the past seemed unattainable; meant for somebody else living in a different, bigger city.

Children’s Capital of Culture has released the potential that already exists in the borough by highlighting the amazing work that already takes place. It’s helping to inspire children and young people and see the potential in themselves and their borough.

Being a trainee for Hybrid 3 Studios with Children’s Capital of Culture has been an incredibly valuable experience for me, providing me with employment in an industry recognised position working as a podcast producer and systems manager.

I’ve gained confidence, built connections, and explored more opportunities in the arts and cultural sector that I love. I felt like my voice and perspective really mattered which made a lasting difference to me, both personally and professionally.

Programmes like this are so important for giving young people opportunities that can genuinely shape their futures. I feel Rotherham is full of creative and unique people who deserve opportunities to be seen and heard. Children’s Capital of Culture’s effort to provide work for those people is truly amazing.

I had been working part-time in a supermarket in Doncaster when I spotted the opportunity to be part of the first round of Children’s Capital of Culture trainees in 2022/2023. We organised events and helped get it off the ground in its early stages.

I gained new skills in event organisation and marketing which led me to the role I am in today; Marketing and Communications Officer at Flux Rotherham.

Children’s Capital of Culture has allowed young people to take control and change the narrative surrounding Rotherham which is really positive. Personally, it has given me the opportunity be creative and learn valuable skills in my hometown. I’d like to stay within the creative landscape of Rotherham and be part of its exciting future. It’s inspiring to see ambition in Rotherham; there’s an appetite for culture and arts.

My experience with Children’s Capital of Culture started when I got a job at Clifton Park Museum where I supported an amazing exhibition called SELF which explores young people’s identities in Rotherham. I’m now working as a Heritage Producer for Children’s Capital of Culture, capturing my local community’s history and stories.

My confidence has grown massively - I’ve networked, I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone, I’ve improved my photography skills to name a few.

Children’s Capital of Culture has really opened many doors and enabled young people like me to feel more involved in our town and its future. I feel prouder than ever to be from Rotherham.