Playland
A new venue in Portsmouth by and for people under 30
We are re-imagining Playland – the abandoned arcade on Commercial Road – into a vibrant, youth-led creative space. And it’s a totally blank canvas…for now!
Wherever you are on your journey and whatever you are passionate about – Playland is a safe space to express yourself, and access opportunities to build skills and experience for your creative career.
About the project
Playland Creative Hub
A new home for creativity, collaboration and opportunity in Portsmouth
Once a derelict amusement arcade at the top of Commercial Road, Playland Creative Hub has been transformed into a vibrant two-storey cultural space bringing together young people, artists and creative businesses in the heart of Portsmouth.
A joint venture between Artswork and Portsmouth Creates, the hub is designed to empower young people, grow the city’s creative economy and make the arts accessible for everyone.
Playland
Created by under 30’s, for under 30’s
On the ground floor, Playland is a creative venue designed and run by under 16 – 30-year-olds, with support from Artswork. It’s a space to experiment, collaborate and imagine new ideas – a safe space to influence what happens, try out creative projects, and build the confidence and skills to shape their own futures.
Through hands-on experience and creative exploration, Playland helps 16 – 30-year-olds to develop the tools and networks they need to thrive in the creative industries and beyond.
Create at Playland
A workspace for Portsmouth’s creative entrepreneurs
Upstairs, Create at Playland, led by Portsmouth Creates, provides affordable workspaces for small (yet mighty!) creative businesses. These spaces offer a supportive home, helping them connect and the wider creative community.
Businesses based here, Downtown Pompey, Pompey Darkroom and Portsmouth Pride will also play a key role in supporting the youth programmes downstairs at Playland, offering mentoring, work experience and career pathways into the creative industries.
Together, Create at Playland and Playland form a connected ecosystem of creativity, skills development and opportunity.
Playland
We’re looking for young people aged 16 – 30 to help shape every part of this new space: from designing the blank-canvas interior into a functional and playful space, to planning what will take place there.
In return we’ll offer training, mentoring, and shadowing opportunities, and we will support you to make your ‘dream’ events come true. This is a chance for you to co-create something from the ground up, shaping it as YOU think it should be.
The Playland project has emerged from previous conversations with local young people, who expressed that there was a lack of spaces where they felt real safety and belonging. Playland will provide this space, as well as driving skills development and pathways into the creative industries.
Between running workshops and meeting the wider public, we’ve been able to create 3 opportunities for young people with no prior professional experience and reward them for their time. As Playland’s Creative Engagement Practitioner, taking on my first post-university role in the same city I grew up in makes me especially proud of the supportive environment we are creating.
How can I get involved?
The way that Playland will look and run is all down to you. Here’s how you can join our team of under 30s leading this project.
Shape Playland
Discussion meetings are hybrid (in person at Playland and online via Teams). The weekday sessions (usually Tuesdays or Thursdays) run from 6pm to 8pm and the Saturday sessions run from 11am to 4pm.
Creative projects
This October, we were joined by key investors and local businesses for Playland’s stakeholder launch event, where we celebrated all of the work and progress we’ve completed together so far.
With lots still to come, here’s a snapshot of some of our upcoming events:
- PLAY X PLAY: A one-day workshop and digital showcase in collaboration with Play Office. Artist Harry Payne will lead a hands-on session in TouchDesigner and projection mapping.
- Warhammer-Themed Halloween Celebration: A halloween social event designed for beginner-level and familiar players of the tabletop game Warhammer.
Our upcoming planning meetings will be focused on Christmas – keep up to date on this and more opportunities coming soon via the links below.
You are welcome to join just one project, or as many as you like – just let us know what interests you.
Want to stay up to date with what’s going on?
Are you an artist, creative business or collective in Portsmouth and beyond? Here’s how you can get involved:
- We offer space hire at affordable rates. As part of our space hire model, one of our capable under 30’s in the Playland leadership group will also be on hand to assist your workshop/event. Please enquire for more details.
- We also host free taster workshops for young people in the city, so that more under 30’s have the opportunity to get involved in Playland. If you’d like us to deliver a free workshop with young people in your organisation who may be interested in youth leadership at Playland, get in touch to grab a slot before they are gone. Email Anastasia at anastasiaalexandru@artswork.org.uk
- We’re also really excited about offering young people training opportunities, so if you have any specialist skills that you’d like to offer as a development opportunity for our under 30’s, do reach out to us by emailing playland@artswork.org.uk
Project partners
We’re working with Portsmouth Creates on this project and The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have pledged £25k to support activity at Playland.
