Celebrating Creative Prevention: PCC Visits Youth Sculpture at Keynsham Music Festival

Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody visited Keynsham Music Festival on Saturday 5th July to see a striking sculpture created by young people as part of a project funded through her office in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council.

The sculpture, a butterfly emerging from a birdcage, was designed and built by ten young people at risk of exploitation in the community. It was first displayed at Glastonbury Festival before moving to Keynsham. The artwork is a powerful symbol of transformation and freedom, reflecting the journey the young people made during the course.

Delivered by Arcadia Reach CIC and Women Teaching Fabrication, and supported by The Willow Project, the programme taught creative welding and metalwork skills to young people who were identified as vulnerable to harm. It offered them a safe and positive space to grow in confidence, explore new interests, and express themselves.

Clare Moody met with Willow Project workers Mike May, Sam Burt, and Karen Lee at the festival to hear more about the impact of the work. She said:

“This project shows what is possible when we give young people meaningful opportunities to discover their potential. I am pleased to support prevention through creative partnerships like The Willow Project, which has delivered real results by building the young people’s confidence and steering them away from harm. I hope they are very proud of what they have achieved.”

Finley, one of the young participants, said:

“You know what, I loved it. I thought it was really fun and I actually learnt something at the same time. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it besides it not stopping. I learnt how to weld and laser cut.”

Olivia, another young person involved, said:

“I found it very fun, and I didn’t expect to like it at all. But I did. It was a fun experience and I’m glad I done it. At the start I wouldn’t even try, and by the end I loved making things and grew in confidence.”

The Willow Project is a partnership between B&NES Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, providing early support to children and young people aged 11–18 who are vulnerable to exploitation but may not meet the threshold for statutory intervention. Support is delivered in schools and extends to parents and carers.