Empowering young people through creative, youth-led projects since 2004

Established by school students in 2004 as a summer project, RicNic has grown into a charity where young people are at the heart of everything; from shaping creative projects to taking leadership roles across the organisation.

RicNic works to bridge the gaps in creative learning, providing opportunities that have been missing in education over the past decade, and supporting those leaving school or college to explore and pursue careers in the creative industries.

Each year, we work with over 2,000 participants across Staffordshire, Cheshire, the West Midlands, and beyond. We’ve put on theatre productions, music festivals, workshops, after-school clubs, digital projects, and much more; all driven by your ideas and leadership. And we’ve also helped hundreds of young people to take the next step into their dream creative career.

Our programmes offer supportive spaces to explore new skills, express yourself, collaborate with others, gain confidence, develop self-belief, build social skills, and discover your creative potential.

Ready to get involved? Explore our site and find out how you can get started today!

Our Programmes

Foundry – Extra-curricular clubs and holiday activities for under-16s, all with a youth-led approach to support early skills, confidence and aspirational development.

Forge – Training, mentoring and hands-on experience for young adults age 16+ to enter the creative industries.

Flourish – Workshops for schools, businesses, and community groups helping participants to explore independent thinking, social enterprise, youth leadership and career pathways.

Our partners work with us to help empower young people through creativity. Together, we create opportunities for young creatives, support the wellbeing of local communities, and make sure the creative sector is open, welcoming, and accessible to everyone as a place to learn, express themselves, and connect with others.