Signal Festival Shortlisted for Award that celebrates outstanding local partnership.
Signal Festival gets named as a finalist for the Inspirational Local Partnership Award at the National Arts and Cultural Education Awards 2026. This recognises the festival’s work bringing young people together through arts and culture across Swindon.
The Signal Festival, Swindon’s youth arts festival for 9 to 25-year-olds, finds itself shortlisted alongside organisations from across the UK. That’s including MADE – Manchester’s Cultural Education Partnership, Salford CEP, and Building Young Brixton. The awards, run by national arts education charity Curious Minds, received more than 250 entries this year across ten categories. Reviewing them all was a panel of 25 judges drawn from the arts, cultural and education sectors.
The announcement of the winners is set to take place at a ceremony on Wednesday 21 October at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Three years strong
Now in its third year, Signal Festival celebrates and encourages youth creativity in Swindon. It does this through a week-long programme of workshops and performances spanning:
- music and dance
- visual art
- poetry
- film and theatre.
Launched and produced by Swindon-based arts charity Prime Theatre, a team of young producers run the festival. They programme it, organise it and promote it with the support of Prime Theatre.
This year’s festival ran from Friday 24 July to Saturday 1 August. It attracted hundreds of audience members across more than forty events at over ten venues. That included whole-day programmes at Town Gardens, Richard Jefferies Museum and The Platform. And delivered in partnership with more than eighty partner organisations, artists and creative practitioners.
Dr Nick Capstick OBE, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Prime Theatre, said:
‘We’re delighted to see Signal Festival get this recognition in this year’s National Arts and Cultural Education Awards. Signal Festival is only made possible by the incredible work of our partner organisations and artists. They work with us each year to deliver incredible opportunities to young people. And put a spotlight on the culture and creativity that Swindon has to offer.’
Councillor Vallender, Cabinet Member for Culture, Planning and Regeneration, added:
‘Signal Festival is a fantastic example of what’s achievable when organisations come together with a shared commitment to young people. This nomination recognises the dedication of Prime Theatre. And the young producers who lead the festival. But also the strength of the partnerships that make it possible.
Showcasing
The festival showcases the creativity, ambition and community spirit that are at the heart of Swindon’s UK City of Culture 2029 bid. Bringing together:
- artists
- cultural organisations …
- and schools and communities … Signal Festival is helping to:
- nurture talent
- widen participation and show the transformative role culture can play in shaping a brighter future for our town.’
Signal Festival is Prime Theatre’s flagship youth arts programme. It offers free and low-cost creative opportunities for young people aged 9 to 25 across Swindon.
Partner organisations have included:
- Swindon Borough Council
- Museum and Art Swindon
- Create Studios
- BBC Wiltshire …
- … and the National Trust.
