CREATIVE young people have displayed their work following a 12-week course.

The project, run by East Oxford-based Fusion Arts, saw people between the ages of 14 and 25 create lanterns for Oxford’s light night at the Christmas festival.

The weekly sessions, called “Culturevators” was prioritised for young people who were not in full-time education, training or employment.

They saw the work they had created over the past 12 weeks on display at the Fusion site at East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street.

Culturevators, which is being funded by Arts Council England, Oxford City Council’s Youth Ambition Fund, and Green Square, will also run a similar course from May in the run up to Cowley Road Carnival, which is taking place on July 6.

The young people were guided by two professional community artists, Helen Jacobs and Emily Cooling, and a learning assistant, Zoe Gray.

Project development officer Lizzy McBain said: “We worked with East Oxford Intervention Hub and they worked towards making a giant lantern for the night light festival.

“They had to learn many skills to make the giant structures using paper and fabric.

“Since then they have been making smaller lanterns and we have had many creative, bright young people really take an interest in this.

“Many of them have real interest in different aspects of the arts, from fashion design to art, so it has been really good for them.”

The group of young people designed and made a 4m high Snow Queen and then accompanied the artists in to New Marston and Cutteslowe Primary schools to teach the younger children how to make their own smaller lanterns.

Tom Breach, 18, who studies at City of Oxford College at Blackbird Leys said he enjoyed the project. He said: “It was good to work as a team. Teamwork is important and I found it interesting.”

  • For more information about the summer course which runs from May to July this year, ring 01865 245735.