Our Place: Spark Sessions
When: 12 August 2026 – 15 September 2026
Free Our Place ideation sessions to help you brainstorm, plan, and pitch your creative idea for up to £3,000 in funding!
Got a creative idea brewing, or not sure where to start? The Our Place Spark Sessions are four free workshops for young people aged 13–25 in Hammersmith & Fulham, designed to help turn a spark of an idea into a fully formed project with up to £3,000 in funding behind it. Running between 12th August and 15th September, each session tackles a different part of the journey: brainstorming and belonging, planning and budgeting, reimagining your local area, and designing for inclusive audiences. Come to one, or come to all four! No idea is too small, too weird, or too unfinished.
Our Place: Spark Session #1 – Belonging in the Borough
Wednesday 12th August
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Location: The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre (Creative Space room)
Facilitators: Members of the YPBOC Youth Board, Calesta Ng (Illustrator), and Alyssa Martens (Our Place Producer)
What actually IS Our Place? How do you get involved? And how do you turn a spark of an idea into a real creative project (with up to £3,000 behind it)? Come find out at our first Our Place Ideation Session! Join illustrator Calesta Ng for an afternoon of fun, hands-on creative brainstorming – no idea too small, too weird, or too unfinished. We'll also hear from our Youth Board on why they chose "Belonging" as the theme for this first round, and there'll be loads of time to get all your questions answered. Whether you've already got an idea buzzing or you're starting from scratch, come along, get inspired, and leave with something to work with.
Our Place: Spark Session #2 – Your Borough, Reimagined
Wednesday 19th August
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 PM
Location: TBC
Facilitators: Soh-yon Park (Design Researcher) & Alyssa Martens (Our Place Producer)
Description: What would you change about where you live? And what if you could actually make that change happen through a creative project you create yourself? That's what our third Ideation Session is all about. Join design thinker Soh-yon Park as we dig into three big questions together:
- What do you want to see change in the borough?
- What creative ideas do you have to make that happen?
- How do you turn those ideas into projects that actually shake things up in your neighbourhood?
No pressure to have it all figured out – come with a problem you care about, a wild idea, or just curiosity, and we'll work through it together.
Our Place: Spark Session #3 – Making it Real: Planning & Budgeting
Tuesday 8th September
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Location: TBC
Facilitators: Alyssa Martens (Our Place Producer) & Alice Eve (YPBOC Producer)
Description: Got an idea for Our Place? Let's turn it into a plan. Join Our Place Producer Alyssa Martens and YPBOC Producer Alice Eve for our second Ideation Session, all about project planning and budgeting. We'll break down the project planning process step by step – what places are good fits for your ideas, how to find a Champion for your project, what goes into a strong proposal, and how to budget for what you actually need. By the end, you'll know how to turn your idea into a real project pitch for Our Place.
Our Place: Spark Session #4 – Including Your Audience: Making Space for Everyone
Tuesday 15th September
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 PM
Location: TBC
Facilitators: Turtle Key Arts & Alyssa Martens (Our Place Producer)
Description: You've got an idea and a project plan taking shape — now let's talk about who gets to experience it. Because if Our Place's theme is Belonging, we want to make sure your future audiences feel welcome to engage with your idea. For our fourth and final Ideation Session, we're teaming up with Turtle Key Arts to explore how to plan projects that are accessible, multi-sensory, and open to other young people to take part in. We'll think about your audience: who you're creating for, who might get left out without you realising, and how small changes can make a big difference in making people feel welcome and included.
Sign up for as many of these free events as you'd like to attend using the form below!