Creative careers festival takes root in Derby

Organisers have hailed the success of a festival hosted at Down to Earth Derby’s Electric Daisy, which showcased creative careers to young people.

Derby Promise’s first Roots festival saw the Bold Lane venue packed with a mix of families, professionals, hands-on workshops and careers information, advice and guidance stalls.

Over 100 teenagers tried their hand at gardening, screen printing, DJing and content creation, taking the opportunity to learn more about the ways in which practitioners had forged their own career paths.

Roots was created as part of Derby City Council‘s Derby Promise – a city-wide programme providing enriching experiences to children and young people, with the aim of raising aspirations and ending youth unemployment.

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, the city council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children, young people and skills, said: “It’s important that we plant the seed of careers aspiration in our young people as early as possible – both through the curriculum, and through hands-on experiences.

“We live in a city that has so much to offer in terms of employment and growth, but we need to make sure that all of our children and young people are aware of and can access those opportunities.

“Seeing children absorbed in creative workshops, asking questions and discovering new, modern pathways into the world of work was great – there’s a real sense that with hard work and the right support, a creative passion can turn into a fulfilling career.”