Led by the Stowmarket Culture Group, Jubilant! 2025 involved children and young people from 10 local schools and one Home Education group, each working with a specially commissioned creative practitioner in the Summer term to create their own, unique, arts based project.
The projects were then exhibited or performed in the main cultural venues within Stowmarket, creating a free, mini youth arts festival which drew the children and young people, their family and friends into the town centre to view the displays. The Jubilant! festival was officially opened with a launch day in Stowmarket, which enabled students to see each other’s work and receive behind-the-scenes tours of their host venue. It also allowed for all the participating schools and cultural representatives to come together as a community in Stowmarket Marketplace to celebrate the work and creativity of everyone involved.
The Stowmarket Culture Group is made up of the following major venues/organisations in the town: the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, the Food Museum, Fox Yard Studio, John Peel Centre for Creative Arts, Modece Architects, the Regal Cinema, Red Gables Wellbeing Hub, Stowmarket Library, The ERD Connection (Stowmarket Youth Theatre) and The Mix. Stowmarket Town Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council act as strategic partners to the group.
The group exists to promote the vibrant cultural scene that already exists within the town and to encourage partnerships to improve the current offer. The Culture Group recognise that raising awareness of “what’s on” and having access to cultural activities is crucial to growing public cultural participation. This is the fourth year the Stowmarket Culture Group has run “Jubilant!” connecting local primary and secondary schools, artists and venues in a positive creative experience.