New Voices for Old Stories 2026
Applications are now open for New Voices for Old Stories, our free heritage and creative leadership programme for young people aged 16–25.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and designed by Aston-Mansfield’s Young Heritage Facilitators, the programme gives participants the opportunity to explore Aston-Mansfield’s archives alongside their own heritage, bringing these stories to life through creative projects.
Participants will:
- Build project management, leadership and research skills
- Learn digital storytelling, archival techniques and heritage digitisation
- Manage a £1,000 project budget from planning through to delivery
- Strengthen their CVs and personal statements through hands-on experience
- Connect with peers through creative workshops and social activities
The programme also a number of enrichment activities including:
⭐Socials trips to London Dungeons and Gravity MAX
⭐A day trip to Mansfield College, Oxford University, learning more about the university’s role in Aston-Mansfield’s history and insights into pursuing higher education.
⭐A residential trip to our own heritage site, Lambourne End, where they will engage in team-building activities and develop their project management skills.
Sign up by Friday 26 June at 23:59. The sign-up form takes just two minutes to complete and is not a competitive application process: New Voices (Sign-Up Form)
Check out what we got up to last year on the New Voices for Old Stories programme here:
Year in Review (2025)
In 2025, we completed the first year, engaging 33 young people in heritage skills training and creative projects.
5 Youth-Led Heritage Projects
The young people who took part in New Voices for Old Stories in 2025, delivered five exciting heritage projects.