'Save Our Future'

Published by Independent Arts in Member News · Sunday 01 Jun 2025 · 3:30

Independent Arts is proud to present Save Our Future, a powerful and imaginative exhibition created by young people as part of its Arts Lab programme. The exhibition marks the culmination of five months of creative exploration by participants aged 11–16 and showcases a bold collection of multimedia artworks inspired by the issues they care about most.

Since January, the young artists have worked alongside professional creatives to explore themes such as the cost of living, the climate crisis, plastic pollution, endangered species, the impact of social media, and youth mental health. The resulting exhibition offers an honest, humorous, and insightful reflection of how young people see and respond to the challenges shaping their world today.

With support from artists and mentors, the group experimented with a wide range of art forms, including:

Expressive Comics

In collaboration with cartoonist Adam Gaterell, participants created a single-frame comic in the format of a newspaper front page. These striking works convey strong social messages, using both humour and raw emotion to encourage viewers to see the world through the eyes of today’s youth.

Hanging Bat Installation

A dramatic and thought-provoking hanging installation of bats adds a striking visual element to the exhibition space. Designed and created by the young artists, the bats symbolise species under threat and the urgency of environmental action. Suspended across the ceiling, they invite visitors to look up, reflect, and engage with the climate and conservation themes explored throughout Save Our Future.

The Imaginarium
A playful sculptural installation developed with artist Steve Baxter using cardboard and fabric, designed to evoke memories of childhood dens and blanket forts. The piece invites visitors to reconnect with imagination and play, as participants were encouraged to reflect on their own childhoods and give themselves permission to be curious, creative and spontaneous.

Collaborative Soundtrack
Island musician Noah Johnson guided the group in composing an original soundscape, with each member contributing a unique audio element. The result is an evocative, multi-layered composition that captures the individuality and unity of the group.

Self-Portraits: Reflections of Identity

As part of their exploration of personal expression, each young participant created a self-portrait that offers a window into their identity, thoughts, and individuality. The portraits vary in style and technique, but together they form a moving and relatable depiction of what it means to be a young person growing up today—creative, complex, and full of possibility.

Short Performance Film
Inspired by contemporary video and performance art, the group created Messing About with the Blobs—an experimental short film that blends movement, humour, and visual storytelling.

The exhibition continues the momentum of the Save Our Future mural project, completed by the same group earlier this year and now proudly and permanently displayed on the wall of Skates in Newport. This new body of work builds on that legacy, giving young people space to explore their ideas in greater depth and to develop their own creative voices.

Evie Clarke, Creative Programmes Coordinator at Independent Arts, said:

“We are incredibly proud of the young people who have taken part in Arts Lab. They have tackled complex and urgent topics with creativity, sensitivity and courage. This exhibition is a powerful reminder of the role creativity can play in helping young people express themselves and engage with the world around them.”

The Arts Lab programme and Save Our Future exhibition have been made possible thanks to the generous support of the #iwillfund and the DWF Foundation, who champion youth social action and the transformative impact of creativity on wellbeing.

Save Our Future is free and open to the public at the Independent Arts Creative Hub, 48 High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, until Friday 13th June.