Maker Arts responds to young people’s needs with immersive arts venue and supported pathways
Maker Arts CIC was created by Sue Parsons and Alex Maude with a clear purpose: to support young people in Torbay who do not thrive within mainstream education and are at risk of becoming disengaged altogether.
Many of those referred experience anxiety, are neurodivergent or the effects of trauma, and Maker Arts was set up to ensure these young people no longer fall through the cracks. What began as a small alternative provision has grown into an award-winning, quality-assured service, known for its calm, creative and non-judgemental approach.
Using youth-led learning and therapeutic arts, Maker Arts supports young people to rebuild confidence, reconnect with learning and rediscover a sense of self-worth. Sessions are flexible and shaped around individual needs, creating safe, trusting spaces where young people feel heard and accepted for who they are.
The impact of this approach has been clear. Many young people supported by Maker Arts and have achieved more than certification, they have been successfully re-engaged with education, further training or employment, often after long periods of absence or difficulty. But as confidence grows and pathways reopen, a new question has emerged: what happens next?
Listening to young people provided the answer. They spoke about the need for somewhere beyond structured provision, a place they could help shape, build social connections, gain real-world experience and feel part of their community, our community here in the heart of Paignton. They want opportunities that feel real and meaningful, that are relevant to them and purposeful.
In response, Maker Arts, working in collaboration, developed Sonder Arts Collective, an ambitious new project and a natural next step shaped directly by youth voice. Sonder is being developed as a youth employability hub, work-experience centre and immersive arts attraction, offering opportunities in creativity, hospitality, events and community engagement.
Young people are supported to step in, explore ideas and collaborate on projects with appropriate guidance in place. This enables them to take part in creative development and enterprise in a way that is supported and risk-free, while also helping to bring underused spaces back into active use.
At the heart of Sonder will be an immersive arts exhibition that blends creativity, storytelling and education. Rather than a traditional gallery, visitors will be invited to step inside themed, sensory environments inspired by art, imagination and curiosity, all created by young, highly talented local creatives. Elements of art history will be woven throughout, alongside references to Paignton’s identity and heritage, creating an experience that feels both local and welcoming.
Alongside the exhibition, a youth café is being developed collaboratively with young people who are interested in running creative, hospitality or community-focused initiatives of their own. The café will offer a relaxed and inclusive social space. Designed with young people in mind, it will provide somewhere to meet, feel comfortable, try out new crafts and exist without pressure.
For many, it will be a first step out of isolation and into community. Through a supported work-experience programme, young people will have the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, gain essential employability skills and AQA qualifications while fostering creativity and confidence. A dedicated homework hub, equipped with computers, printers and noise-cancelling headphones, will offer a quiet space for focus and study.
Together, these elements form a living, breathing venue shaped by young people and open to the wider community. It is a project rooted in care, listening and long-term impact.
Maker Arts and Sonder Arts Collective reflect a simple but powerful belief: when young people are trusted, supported and given space to grow, they can help shape the future of their town.
Those interested in getting involved, collaborating or supporting the project are warmly invited to connect and be part of a community-led vision for Torbay’s young people, please do get in touch at info@sonderarts.co.uk or admin@makerarts.co.uk