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Project showcases young artists in Chesterfield

5th April 2024

Young artists in Chesterfield staged a new art exhibition, as part of the Junction Arts project Next Gen, which helps young people launch creative careers.

The exhibition, entitled Self Expression, was on display at West Studios from the 25th to the 28th of March and featured over 30 artworks. The collection included portraits, postcard art, spray paint murals, illustrations, and pottery.

The group of eight aged between 16-25 years, have been working together for the last five months to create their debut exhibition, showcasing the artworks they have created during Next Gen workshops.

The group were given the challenge of choosing the theme, creating the marketing, curating the exhibition and organising a private view event themselves. The four-day event attracted many visitors and positive comments including. “Great to see young people expressing themselves through art. Lots of fresh ideas, keep at it. It will enrich your life and the lives of those who see it.” “Exciting artworks on show! What will these artists do next?!”

Next Gen is a Junction Arts project that has been running as part of a wider ‘POV’ project since June 2022 and is delivered in partnership with Bassetlaw CVS, Rhubarb Farm, Centre Place, Bassetlaw Action Centre, Inspire, Voluntary Action Doncaster, South Yorkshire Community Foundation. There have been similar projects delivered across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and South Yorkshire to include the point of view of young people in volunteering and open up voluntary organisations to 16-24-year-olds.

The project was funded by Arts Council England Volunteering Futures fund and aimed to encourage young people to volunteer through the arts.

Based on the group’s interests, Junction Arts runs a fortnightly creative session, working with different artists to give the young people an opportunity to be creative, meet people with similar interests and learn from professionals. Sessions have included portraits, spray painting, pottery, sign-writing and architectural design!

Next Gen Project Coordinator, Jemma Burton said: “I have been so impressed by the work that our Next Gen group have created, so to see it all in one place at the Self Expression Exhibition was a proud moment for them, their families and for Junction Arts!

“The exhibition celebrated the young people’s artwork and provided a platform for their voice. None of the young people had been part of a public art exhibition before or had been involved in organising one – so it was a lot of hard work and a bit of a learning curve, but they all did an amazing job.

“Next Gen aims to give young people an insight into different creative careers, help them to develop new skills, grow their confidence and make useful connections. The project will continue, with the group running their own sessions, supported by us. Anyone aged 16-25 years is welcome to join the group, please get in touch!”

If you would like to be part of Next Gen contact; jemma@junctionarts.org.

Junction Arts supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Chesterfield firm supports local council to reduce energy costs

8th November 2023

A Chesterfield-based energy broker has worked alongside a local council in the area to help reduce its energy bills.

Choice Utility worked alongside Staveley Town Council to ensure the authority wasn’t paying over the odds on its gas and electricity. The partnership shows the value of collaboration between local businesses and organisations in the town to boost the local economy.

Dan Molloy, Director at Choice Utility commented: “We worked to define the parameters of the contracts in place, as well as when they were set up and how. Some of these were auto-renewed by the supplier without STC’s knowledge.

“We also evaluated the true energy consumption, as the supplier had not recorded it correctly. Following that, we spoke to the energy supplier to understand the new energy contracts agreed. We were then able to explore options available and offer those to STC, giving our advice on what we be most cost-effective.

“After negotiating firmly with the supplier, we were able to reduce the rate to something far more palatable (saving around 60% going forward) without needing to extend the contract.”

Sabrina Doherty, Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer at Staveley Town Council said: “Dan from Choice Utility has been brilliant at helping us deal with a very difficult situation and uncooperative suppliers.

“He really went the extra mile for us and achieved a significant saving on our existing contracts whilst finding us the best deal for our new contracts. I can’t recommend them highly enough – they were excellent.”

The company, based in Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is looking to further support local businesses in the area, and will be hosting a drop in session in January for businesses to discuss their energy costs in a relaxed and informal setting.

Choice Utility supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.