This August, Keystone is going back to school. But we’re not sharpening our pencils or choosing a new pencil case. Instead, we’re going to be at the front of the room, handing out the worksheets and preparing to be teachers for a day. Our students will be young adults aged between 16 and 20, participating in a summer programme delivered by Cambridgeshire County Council.
We're delighted to be working with The Library Presents team once again, supporting the free, three-week Become an Events Producer Summer Course, which gives young adults interested in the arts an opportunity to learn how to plan, promote and produce live events with guidance from industry professionals.
For us, this programme brings together several things we care deeply about: creative confidence, practical communications, community-focused arts activity and helping people turn good ideas into reality.
Participants will gain practical experience by producing a real ticketed event, helping them strengthen their CV, portfolio or UCAS application.
Taking place at Cambridge Central Library, the course will introduce young adults to the different skills involved in event production, from programming and working with artists to planning, budgeting, health and safety, fundraising and evaluation. Our role will focus on event promotion, with a dedicated session covering marketing, branding, audiences and communications.
Over the course of the day, we will cover how to:
- Reach, engage and welcome the right audiences
- Choose the appropriate marketing channels
- Create strong and clear messages
- Ensure communications feel inclusive and accessible
By the end of the session, each person will have developed a practical mini marketing plan they can use as the foundation for promoting an event.
Designing the session also reinforced something we've long believed. The same principles that help a young producer market their first event are just as valuable for charities, community organisations and commercial businesses planning campaigns of their own. That's why we're exploring how these practical tools could become a series of bite-sized marketing lessons for a much wider audience.
Keystone has worked with The Library Presents team for over three years, supporting communications across seasonal arts programming, promotional campaigns and audience-focused content.
Hayley Williams, Managing Director at Keystone, said: “One of the things we value most at Keystone is building long-term relationships with organisations that share our passion for creating opportunities and making a positive difference. The Library Presents is a brilliant example of that, so it's a real privilege to be supporting this programme and helping young people gain practical skills, professional insight and creative opportunities.
“Marketing is often seen as the bit that happens at the end, once an event has already been planned. But good communication starts much earlier. It helps shape who an event is for, what people need to know, what might encourage them to come and how to make them feel welcome when they do.”
If you know someone aged 16 to 20 who loves the arts, enjoys organising things or simply wants to discover all that happens behind the scenes of a live event, we'd encourage you to share the course with them. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Become an Events Producer Summer Course is free to attend and will run at Cambridge Central Library from Tuesday 11 August to Wednesday 26 August. Book now.
