Young Hustlers, taking place on Sunday 19 October in Nottingham alongside Hockley Hustle is expanding its programme after increased funding from Arts Council England. The festival aims to encourage families and young people to immerse themselves in a world of creativity, creating music and art alongside local artists.
The 2024 event saw a 27% increase in attendance with performance opportunities for 45 young people, says the festival.
Taking place across multiple indoor and outdoor venues around Sneinton’s Market Avenues and Square, the festival features a mix of live performances, interactive workshops, and energetic parties exploring cultures around the world.
Confirmed as part of the programme so far are The Big Fish, Little Fish rave, a playful and interactive live music session, celebrating traditional Ukrainian music, from BaBa’s Musical Kitchen, Chocolate-themed workshops run by Luisa’s Chocolates, food and art workshops at Vietcentric and even more family-centred activities.
The festival will also be working with pupils at Djanogly Academy for the third year running. For 2025 This year, they will be working with Milla Hanna, on West African drumming; Chai Larden, on songwriting and Ling Peng, working with Chinese music instruments. They will have the opportunity to perform at the Young Hustlers showcase at Blend where talented young artists will be playing to a live audience.
Festival director Saziso Phiri said: “We’re very happy to announce a generous uplift of around 130 percent in funding from Arts Council England. This is testament to the positive impact the festival has on families from a diverse range of backgrounds. It offers the opportunity to experience joy and fun alongside people they might not usually encounter in their day-to-day lives. The festival also encourages learning and understanding among different communities, helping to build connections.
“The Arts Council’s investment will have a significant positive effect on Nottingham’s creative economy, enabling us to continue to fairly compensate the talented creatives who contribute to the event, develop innovative experiences in local venues and support fellow cultural organisations through venue hire, helping to generate increased footfall for the local area and surrounding businesses.”
The festival is designed to be affordable for families with tickets for children and young people (2-17) at £4 plus booking fee and Adults are £11 plus booking fee (adult wristbands can be used for Hockley Hustle). Tickets are available here.
