Our Town

Developed in partnership with Burnley’s Plans for Neighbourhoods scheme, this project set out to deliver an innovative, youth‑led creative consultation that engaged young people directly within their own spaces to help shape the future of Burnley.

Working alongside two socially engaged artists, we used theatre‑based and visual arts processes to spark discussion and encourage participation across key themes identified in the Neighbourhood Plan. Young people took part in structured consultation activities and co‑created artistic responses to prompts aligned with the scheme’s vision and objectives. These contributions formed a narrative visual report that reflects the conversations held and amplifies youth perspectives, ensuring their voices play an active role in informing the town’s priorities.

Helena Ascough, a visually impaired theatre‑based artist, led a programme of work with Burnley Youth Zone’s dedicated SEND group, supporting participants to develop a podcast that shared their views directly with the council. Socially engaged photographer Anna Wijnhoven worked with Burnley Youth Council through a series of “out and about” sessions, meeting young people in familiar local spaces. Using methods ranging from portraiture to light painting, they explored concerns around safety in the town centre and shared ideas for how local infrastructure could better support young people.

Across October 2025, Blaze worked with 82 young people through twice‑weekly creative sessions at Burnley Youth Zone; significantly exceeding the engagement targets set out in our original proposal and enabling three times as many young people to contribute to future town planning.

The resulting report presents key findings from the consultation and showcases selected creative outcomes developed by participants, offering meaningful insight into what young people want for the future of their neighbourhoods.

You can view our findings from the project here.