Young creatives sought to help relaunch Pyramid Arts Centre following £5m revamp

A unique opportunity which gives young people real-life experience of managing events at a professional level is returning to Warrington.

Anyone aged between 16 and 21 who lives or studies in the town and is interested in arts and culture are encouraged to apply for Culture Warrington’s Young Producers scheme, which is entering its third year.

Young Producers was originally launched in 2024 as a way for more young people to get their foot in the door of the creative industries.

Another of the initiative’s aims is to retain and nurture homegrown talent by providing quality new experiences for young people to develop skills in areas like project management, event production, marketing, budgeting and teamwork.

Applications for the new cohort open on Monday, 22 September, and will see the team work on events until summer next year with full training and support.

In particular they will have the incredible opportunity of helping with the relaunch of Pyramid Arts Centre which is currently closed as part of a £4.9million redevelopment project.

Altogether, there have been 24 Young Producers so far over two intakes and mentor Laura Mercer says she has seen each of them blossom as part of the process.

She added: “By the end they’re like different people. They’re confident talking to everyone, they’re bursting with ideas and they can problem solve and think on their feet to come up with creative solutions.”

As well as supporting plans for Pyramid Arts Centre, the new Young Producers will get to learn from industry professionals, lead on their own events and play a major role at Warrington Arts Festival 2026.

But it often doesn’t stop there. Some of the previous teams have had wider opportunities such as working behind-the-scenes at Neighbourhood Weekender, taking up jobs at Parr Hall, helping to produce touring shows and supporting other Warrington events such as Mela.

Lizzy Thomson even got a job with Culture Warrington as an Assistant Producer after being part of the original cohort.

Laura said: “Lizzy shone through as such a talent, and we didn’t want to let her go! But it’s not just Lizzy, we’ve seen all our Young Producers grow in confidence and it’s been a privilege to help them find the paths they want to take for their future careers.

“We’re hoping to meet many more amazing young people through this current intake.”

Lizzy, a Great Sankey resident who studied Production Arts at Priestley College, added: “Every day I feel so lucky to be part of the team. Even the small things like how you conduct meetings and how you speak to artists was so interesting and I feel like I’ve learnt so much thanks to the support of the team.

“They’ve been so lovely and I really feel like I’ve built my skills. It’s really powered me to go into the creative industries. 

“Before I was a bit unsure of what to do. I was going to get an apprenticeship and it all fell through so to have this first-hand experience with Culture Warrington is just incredible.”

One of Lizzy’s favourite parts of being a producer is taking an idea from a concept all the way through to a successful event.

Highlights have included playing a key role in this year’s Family Garden Party at Warrington Arts Festival, becoming creative lead for the Elf Experience and Grotto as part of Warrington’s Weekend Wonderland and organising Scratch Night, which gives emerging performing artists the chance to test out new ideas live on stage.

The 20-year-old has also become a peer mentor for current Young Producers – supporting them with projects like Warrington Arts Festival’s ‘Made By Me’ film festival which they conceived and organised from the ground up.

Lizzy said: “It’s nice that I’ve been able to stay connected with the Young Producers while taking on some additional responsibilities behind-the-scenes. I’ve found that I thrive in that environment.

“There becomes a point where their eyes open and they just ‘get it’. They become driven by a desire to be collaborative and helpful and throw themselves at every opportunity.”

Laura added: “It’s amazing when the Young Producers are in a room together and realise they have the same passions. 

“They’re so collaborative – they share skills and bounce ideas off each other, and I always say I can see them keeping in touch and working together on professional projects in 10 years’ time. That’s what’s so special about it.”

Applications open for the new cohort of Young Producers on Monday, 22 September. For more information or to apply visit culturewarrington.org/2025/09/10/young-producers-callout/