Free half-term arts at Creative Voice Festival

If you are looking to fill the October half term without spending a penny, Hull's Creative Voice Festival is worth keeping on your radar. It runs across two afternoons, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, from 12.30 to 4.30pm each day, and takes over the third floor of Princes Quay. The best part is that it is free and needs no booking at all, so you can simply turn up and stay for as long or as little as you like.

At its heart, the festival is about young people's creativity. The programme mixes drop-in workshops, performances by young people, exhibitions, conversations and food, and it is built around showing how young people have been creative at youth centres and youth arts projects across Hull. The workshops are the hands-on part: there are practical filmmaking sessions with Fly Girl Films, DJ lessons with DJ Methodz and a team of young mentors, and spoken word and rap with Out of the Box commissioned artist Mahmud Ibrahim. The Peel Project runs henna hand painting, calligraphy design and a session on how to wear saris and hijabs, and the "Back to Ours" activity asks people to decorate an umbrella for the Our City event, which returns next year, or to contribute drawings, doodles, words and messages about what Hull means to them — people, places, history, community, creativity and hopes for the future.

There is plenty to see as well. Exhibitions show artwork from The Peel Project, Generation Hull and Riot Recovery Project, with The Peel Project's "Common Ground", working with artist Layla Jabbari, exploring family stories, memories and personal experiences. Generation Hull is showing work from the first year of its School Arts Councils programme, and the festival artwork itself comes from The Peel Project and Layla Jabbari. On the performance side, there is music, dance and drama from Freedom Road Creative Arts, Just Drama, Ainthorpe Youth Centre and Route One Youth Centre, with Just Drama, from Andrew Marvell Youth Centre, performing for their third year running at 4pm on Friday 30 October. At 3.30pm on the Thursday, a panel shares how they have worked in the arts in Hull, with representatives from the NHS, The Warren, Beats Bus, Middle Child Theatre and current Generation Hull creative apprentices; BSL interpretation is available for that session.

It is worth knowing the wider context, too. The festival sits within Corporate Parenting Week and the Community Plan 'Our Culture, Our Heritage, Our City', and as part of that, Young Voices Influencing Care, working with artists Square Peg, is showing work at Ferens Art Gallery from Wednesday 28 October to Wednesday 4 November. Councillor Jackie Dad, deputy leader and portfolio holder for culture at Hull City Council, has described the festival as a brilliant free event for young people over the half term. On the practical side, Princes Quay is step-free and wheelchair friendly, with an accessible toilet and a quiet space and area available, so it is easy to bring everyone along.