Menticulture Magazine X Spark! Issue 2

In the first of a regular Menticulture Magazine feature spotlighting Chelmsford’s creative youth, we speak to Amelia Wright from Spark! Chelmsford’s very own youth culture revolution, Spark! is a collective of young creatives shaping the city’s future through bold, exciting projects. With big plans in the pipeline, they’re set to make a lasting impact on Chelmsford’s cultural landscape in the months and years ahead…

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you let a group of young creatives change not only how Chelmsford looks but how it functions? Well, now you don’t
have to...

Hey there, we’re Spark!—the group formerly known as LCEP (Local Cultural Education Partnership)—but between you and me, Spark! has more of a ring to it.

So, who exactly are we, and why are we here? We brand ourselves as the youth culture revolution, which not only sounds incredibly cool but also influences every decision we make as a collective.

You see, Spark! isn’t just one idea—it’s many. All of ours, actually. Right now, we have about 10–15 members. Some of us live here in Chelmsford, others a little further afield, and some are at universities all over the UK. We come from all sorts of backgrounds—musicians, actors, young carers, people living with mental health challenges—you name it. I know I’m labouring the point, but I want you to know that people, no matter their interests or what they’re going through, are not just welcomed here but cherished. I’ve waffled enough about us, so let me show you what we’ve been up to.

Back in 2023, we held our first Ignite takeover. We planned everything—from speakers to refreshments to personally inviting those we thought would really benefit from hearing who we, as young people, wanted to be listening to. The evening was an incredible success and really boosted our confidence as a group. So, thank you to everyone at Ignite who helped make it happen.

We’ve also attended every Pride for the past two years—getting to know the community, soaking in the celebrations, and getting a real feel for what Pride means to Chelmsford (which, by the way, could definitely use more Pride spirit). There’s so much more we’ve been working on behind the scenes, but I’m running out of words, so you’ll have to wait for another issue.

I can’t sign off without telling you about three of the coolest things Spark! will be working on over the next two years.

Concrete Canvas, Chelmsford Museum, and the ARU Science Festival have all asked for our help to make their events bigger and better, with culture and the arts at the heart of it all. We’re already working closely with them, so next time you see these events, you might notice some exciting changes—and just know that Spark! has been working its magic.

The first few years of Spark! have been all about laying down a solid foundation (and applying for grants). And while, yes, we’d all love to have been making massive changes from day one, these things take time. Without steps like these, we wouldn’t be doing anything nearly as bold as we are now.

But rest assured—Spark! is here to stay, and we are hungry for change.

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