On Saturday 8 November 2025 the newly opened Library Hub in Staines-Upon-Thames came alive as a record number of 350 young people gathered for the annual Surrey Youth Arts and Culture Festival, vibrant celebration of creativity, culture, and careers. The event, now in its third year, is led by Culture Box Surrey, the Local Cultural Education Partnership for Surrey, which is led by Surrey County Council’s Surrey Arts.
The day was delivered as part of the wider Escalate Arts programme. Escalate Arts is an Arts Council England funded initiative, designed to transform how people work, design, enjoy and participate in the arts in Spelthorne. The project has been developed in partnership between Surrey County Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Artswork and Ashford Youth Club.
Some big names in the arts, music, film and culture sector helped to bring the event to life to inspire the young people of Surrey, including the British Theatre Academy and National Film and Television School, as well as many local providers in the industry too.
The festival offered a dynamic mix of free workshops, performances, and exhibitions designed to ignite creativity and showcase opportunities in the arts and cultural industries. There was something for everyone aged 11– 24.
A new highlight this year was the Escalate Arts Film Festival awards: a new initiative as part of Escalate Arts Youth Collective programming – a project created by young people for young people. The Film Festival called budding filmmakers, actors, writers and creatives to submit a short film (between 1 to 20 minutes). There were over 10 entries judged by Olivia Neilson from Into Film, Andy Deakin-Edmeads a theatre consultant and programmer, James Shanks from Dog Face Films an independent film maker and Somerset Phaedrus from National Film and Television School and an independent film maker; with the winner Dylan Cook announced with their short film entitled Actress.
Denise Turner-Stewart, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities, said:
“The Surrey Youth Arts and Culture Festival is a fantastic opportunity to inspire and empower our next generation. Hosting it at the new Library Hub demonstrates our commitment to investing and creating vibrant, inclusive spaces for learning, creativity, and community engagement.”
The success of the festival was made possible thanks to the collaboration of local partners and cultural organisations who share a vision of nurturing talent and creativity among Surrey’s young people.
The Escalate Arts Youth Collective are always on the lookout for new members aged 11 to 24 to get involved and help with designing future programmes for young people interested in the arts and culture sector. Find out how to get involved here Escalate Arts Youth Collective – Surrey County Council
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