Our Background

For the last 20 years, The Spark Arts for Children have been producing innovative, creative experiences for children and young people in the city, county and beyond.

We do this by leading on a bi- annual arts festival, incorporating workshops, dance, theatre and other forms of expressive arts across schools, theatres and community venues.

Our work is recognised internationally, nationally and locally. For us, this is key.  By enjoying an international and national reputation, we help to put Leicester/Leicestershire on the cultural map. By having our work recognised locally, we achieve impact, by delivering on creative opportunities for children and young people in our diverse communities.

We bring and nurture art that reflects all young people, ensuring that they have access to it; as we know the positive impact it has on their education, emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our vision for all children’s voices to be heard through creative platforms, has driven our work for the last two decades.  As our name suggests, we spark creativity, by providing extraordinary experiences for children and young people.

Our legacy, so far

For the last 20 years, we have been instrumental in Leicester and Leicestershire’s cultural landscape, we have championed the Arts in early years settings, homes, and artistic spaces.

Our work and our outreach to various communities, has provided a far-reaching legacy. Children who once engaged in our work, are now the parents bringing their own children to engage with our work, and so our creative cycle continues.

Our future

And now we have paused, reflected and we are ready to move into the next chapter of providing artistic provision in our home city and beyond, and creating artistic opportunities for artists who are at different stages in their careers and artistic practices.

As we look forward, we want to fulfil our ambition of making sure that here at The Spark Arts, we are celebrated for committing to our values of being inclusive, diverse and accessible, and importantly, we are reflective of our communities and our audiences.
We know that creativity and cultural exchange helps to build stronger society, but we also know that the arts have to have a meaningful exchange and a relevance.

To address this, for the last five years, we have pioneered Vital Spark, a movement that addresses the lack of diversity in live and digital performances for young audiences. We do this by providing professional development opportunities, we co-commission and produce new work, supporting artists who are underrepresented in the creative and cultural industries.  To date, almost 60 artists have engaged in Vital Spark.

Alongside this, we have recently established The Mega Bosses of Spark- Child Action Group.
This group helps to shape the work of The Spark Arts, we listen to, and are guided by, the children and young people we serve.

In 2024, we have recruited for two roles that will enhance and help steer our future plans and ambition.

Trina Haldar, Interim Director of The Spark Arts, said: “The Spark Arts for Children has been a part of my own artistic journey since moving to the city in 2006. This brilliant organisation has been the village that has raised many children in Leicestershire and their children in turn. We have grown artists and seen our parents’ become volunteers and established members of our core team. We continue to learn, grow and expand to meet the needs of our children and families, especially in challenging times when it is most needed.”

She continued, “We celebrated 21 years of the festival this year, which I programmed in my previous role as Festival Director. It is now such a privilege to join the company as Interim Director to take it through its next stage of placing representation and inclusion at the heart of all we do, truly reflecting our city in the playful, imaginative and wide-reaching way that Spark does best. I think that’s why it makes us ‘The Best Festival In The World!’”

Tanya Akrofi, Vital Spark Lead, said: “The support I received from the Vital Spark programme really woke something up in me that had been asleep for so long; a passion, creativity and confidence I thought was lost. I am so excited to now be able to help others on their Vital Spark journey. It means so much to me to now be part of the organisation which changed my life.”

Our vision, ambition and recruitment of staff, will ensure that we are agile and responsive in a ever-changing funding climate for the Arts across the UK, and at the heart of our future plans, remains the drive to ensure all children have access to, and engagement with the many creative experiences we can provide, through our diverse and multi-talented team.

As we look forward, we are thankful of those who have supported, collaborated and worked with us, shaped our past and helped us feel confident in our ambition.

We invite you to follow our journey!  To find out more about our future plans, please get in touch with our Interim Director, Trina-trina@thesparkarts.co.uk