A second year of Curious Works for Wigan and Leigh

Curious Minds is delighted to have secured funding to run its Curious Works programme in Wigan Borough for a second time.

Curious Works offers creative sector-focused, practical, skills development and work experience opportunities for young people in Wigan and Leigh. It was successfully delivered for the first time as a 4-month pilot in autumn/winter 2024 and will run again from Summer 2025.

Delivered by Curious Minds, with funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and WEA, this programme is aimed at young people aged between 16 and 25 who are interested in exploring a career in the creative or cultural sectors. In particular, those who face barriers to access, who are, or are at risk of being NEET (not in employment, education or training), are prioritised for support.

This year’s programme will involve a series of workshops as well as one-to-one advice and guidance sessions for eligible young people, though which they are encouraged to explore the variety of careers available in the sector. Applications will then be invited for short-term, paid work experience placements with local creative organisations, brokered and supported by Curious Minds. The programme will culminate in the delivery of a youth-led careers event in Wigan in January 2026.

For all participants, ongoing support and mentoring is offered - guiding the young people to develop positive, solution-focused approaches to challenges, and helping them formulate personal plans for the future.

Our recent pilot engaged 38 young people and facilitated 728 hours of paid work experience. Participant surveys showed that the vast majority of young respondents felt they had developed essential employability skills through the scheme, including:

• 85% said their confidence had increased
• 71% saw an improvement in their ability to problem solve
• 100% agreed the experience had developed their emotional intelligence