In the making: Partnership with Heatherwick studios

Nurturing a creative and transformative environment for young people is not easy, especially in these uncertain, anxious times. All too often young people are finding that creativity is something which is difficult to keep alive inside of themselves – challenged by exam pressures, peer pressures, screen time, the constant noise from social media and the many things in this world that are breaking down. Despite this, Global Generation’s work with young people for the past 20 years has shown that being in nature resparks creativity. When young people are able to engage meaningfully with nature, it supports an inner shift in their attitudes towards their own creativity. It encourages them to think differently, to take time to slow down and notice the small changes, and to step out of their comfort zones. In short, nature is the best source of creativity. 

In 2024 we were asked by Heatherwick Studio to collaborate on In the Making, a new programme they would run in their King’s Cross studio, aimed at resparking creativity in young people. We saw this as an opportunity for the young people we work with to have a voice in the curation of a programme that would inspire other young people to rediscover their creativity. We asked ourselves how we could curate a space where young people are listened to, feel valued and can reconnect with themselves and the world around them in the studio setting. We also asked how we could create that ‘magic door’ effect – a passage from the young people’s daily lives into another dimension of expression and another way of being in the world.

One of the first steps in our journey together with Heatherwick Studio was to bring a group of their team members  – called Inspirers – into our garden spaces with young people from our Generator youth leadership programme. This provided a magical moment for the Inspirers to see our work with young people in its classic form. They could witness the importance of all the aspects that we plan into our sessions, from creating the ‘magic door’ to playing games, sitting still and making moments of reflection where young people’s voices are honoured. 
In the words of Martina Mina, Joint CEO of Global Generation, “Today I listened to the wind and found stillness among the city noises. I heard Inspirers encouraging dreams, sharing knowledge and mutual learning. I heard a story of guidance and encouragement, open mind and letting go. Today I heard a story about magical safe spaces where creativity can flow.” 

As we continued with the co-design process of the programme, the young people also visited the Inspirers at the studio. This gave the young people an opportunity to enter into a space they wouldn’t normally inhabit – walking into the studio provided the perfect magic door! It also opened their horizons into new career pathways that they might not have considered before and provided them with an opportunity to reflect on their creative skills. For the studio’s team, it gave them an insight into working with young people in their space and the possibilities for inspiring the next generation with their work. One of the Inspirers wrote the following, as a pledge to future participants:

“Dear young person, 

I will pledge to put my best efforts and attention mindfully to the task at hand. To attempt to engage on a level without judgement or preconception. To remain open to the possibility of my role reversing when you become my teacher. I am hopeful that I will learn as much from you as I hope to spark something inside of you. I am ambitious to make sure you get out of the experience something/anything which you will carry with you and recall in years to come, when perhaps you take on the same or similar challenge to pass on a moment or inspiring thought to the next generation and continue the cycle”. 

Our collaboration with Heatherwick Studio for In the Making has turned into a deeper partnership, built on shared learnings and a common goal of inspiring young people to embrace their imagination and dare to change the way they think about the world. We now regularly bring school groups aged 10-14 from across Camden and Islington to workshops at Heatherwick Studio. The team at the studio have been dedicated to nurturing the creativity of every young person that has come through their door, gently supporting and guiding each young person on their journeys. They have reached out when they felt more training was needed, asked questions, made suggestions and have also been honest when things we suggested weren’t working for them. 

For the over 1,000 young people who have visited the studio through In the Making, not only have they been in awe of the studio itself but for the first time they can see themselves in these types of creative careers – careers that before the visit they may not have known existed. As well as challenging the young people to think creatively and critically, the programme bridges the gap to a world from which many feel excluded. With the onslaught of AI and a world dominated by a lack of critical thought, the ability to reignite our creativity – to question, to solve problems and to challenge the way we think about the world – is needed more than ever. 

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Notes from the Garden