Helping young people build and grow, creative and cultural businesses and events; that represent themselves and their communities

About Us

Future Foundry is a social enterprise to help young people establish or grow sustainable businesses and events. Future Foundry projects bring young people together within their communities – creating connections and highlighting pathways to success. They promote the creative industries and encourage other people to be inspired by and make a local impact. Young people can access training, resources & cultural events throughout the year. Creative people forging futures.

Our Focus

Future Foundry establish first steps and progression routes into the creative industries for all young people. We aim to tackle barriers facing marginalised young people engaging in the arts and creative industries; to generate a more sustainable, diverse and representative creative community and creative industries workforce. Through building lives and careers that fulfil them and earning a living doing something they love; young people are empowered to affect positive change in the world and the places they live.

Projects

Future Foundry has taken on many projects that aim to build on the creative and cultural industries for young people, particularly less advantaged and marginalised young people. Some of the projects include the Walk with Amal (WWA) October 2021, Dover PrintFest, Dover Pride, Waking the Giant 2022, & Ceramic Art Dover activities. All of these projects and groups also provide free access to professional training, introductions to entrepreneurship, social enterprise, market trading, start-up & support with freelancing.

Upcoming Events

Future Foundry Film Club: Upcoming Opportunities​

Dover 9-5: Taking its cue from the Dover Film, and City Symphonies, Dover 9-5 will be a documentary, showing the real lives of Dover’s young people living in and around the town today – hour by hour, in a series of 10-second video clips. And we need your help to create it!
 
We want submissions from lots of different ages and activities, from biking to sea swimming, gaming or watching TV. Show us where you are and what you’re doing in Dover from 9am to 5pm on a day in your life. Open to all young people, 11-18 years in the Dover area. 
 
No experience necessary, just follow the instructions (guidlines below) and send your clips to office@futurefoundry.org.uk by Monday 26th February. 
On Sunday 25th February, Future Foundry is offering an exclusive Dover 9-5 film making workshop led by local film expert Ed Webb-Ingall from 9am to 5pm at Biggin Hall.  This workshop is part of the making of Dover 9-5 – and an opportunity for anyone aged 11-19 to spend the day making a film about Dover. Every hour between 9am-5pm, we will go out as a group to collect footage that represents the many sides of Dover. 
 
> Meet at Biggin Hall at 9am
> No experience necessary 
> All equipment provided
> Snacks provided (but feel free to bring a packed lunch)
> The workshop will require moving around between various Dover sites, so please let us know if you have any access requirements so we can make adjustments 


Email
office@futurefoundry.org.uk to let us know you’re coming.

The finished Dover 9-5 film will be screened at The cinema at Dover Museum (formerly the Silver Screen) as part of the Annual Dover Film, on Saturday 9th of March (timings TBC)!

Future Foundry New Creators Art Club

New Creators is free art club for young people aged 14-19 in Dover, running every Thursday evening from 3.45 to 5.30pm at Biggin Hall. New Creators is led by Nova Marshall – an amazing visual artist and educator who helped start our Saturday arts club, The Forge.


New Creators aims to bring young people who are interested in art and culture together to learn new skills, generate group activity and to develop public art, activities and events in partnership with Future Foundry. 

 
If you are interested in joining the group, or know someone else who might be, email office@futurefoundry.org.uk or DM us on social media.

The Forge

The Forge is Future Foundry's free weekly art club for all 11-16 year olds. No experience is necessary to come along, it's super friendly, and all materials are provided. You can try out whatever you like at the Forge, including: drawing, zine making, fashion design, upcycling, ceramics, anime, print design, lino printing, tie dye, film making, painting, graphics, street art, pet portraits, card making, scrap sculpture, jewellery making, photography, illustration, badge making, plus more.

If you have any questions, just email office@futurefoundry.org.uk. Biggin Hall, CT16 1BD, 12-3 every Saturday.

Future Foundry Highlights

FLY WITH ME DOVER

We were excited to partner with Good Chance Theatre to create one of the 46 Fly With Me events across the UK and Europe. With the aim of celebrating the ancient Afghan craft of kite-making, flying kites as a symbol of freedom and solidarity and raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, one year on since the fall of Kabul.

CLOSING THE LOOP

Closing The Loop will offer an introduction into all things Circular; it will explore sustainability, entrepreneurship, design methodology and creative enterprise. We aim to help develop businesses that promote the circular economy in creative ways – which could be through a new product or service, through upcycling, recycling, by creating events or plays or even installations or artworks!

WALK WITH AMAL

We were excited to welcome Little Amal with our Dover communities in October as one of the 80 welcome events! Little Amal is walking from the Turkey Syria border to Manchester between July – November 2021. #thewalk is a travelling festival of art in support of refugee’s bringing together cultural organisations, community groups and humanitarian organisations across Europe. Check out #thewalk’s full events programme. More info can be found at walkwithamal.org

DOVER WINTER LIGHT UP

A day of activity at Ladywell included incredible @ceramicartdover Raku Firing demonstrations and a music programme created by @doverpride and @frazerdoyleceramics that was just fabulous. The finale line up was hosted by @miss_lilli_berlin and included debut performances by Dover’s first AFAB Drag Queen @itsemmapanda Drag King @gavin_alarrf. Thanks to @doverdc, @dovertowncouncil @destinationdover and @acegrams for supporting the event.

WASTE FREE FASHION COLLECTIVE

CLAYDATE

DOVER PRIDE

STUDENT MAKERS MARKET

Partnerships

Dover Pride

Dover Pride

Young Creative Producers

Ceramic Art Dover - Claydate

Young Creative Producers

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Dover Repair Cafe

Environmental & Ethical Business

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Young People

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Marginalised Backgrounds

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Progress into the Creative Industries

Who We Work With