A gallery has secured new funding to work with young people in the arts.

Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG) has been awarded a £29,000 grant from Arts Council England for its Create Our Space (COS) programme.

The programme aims to provide opportunities for young people in East Devon, aged 12 to 25, to engage with arts, culture, and climate.

This includes those with disabilities, particularly hidden ones.

The new programme will be rooted firmly within the community, with young people as the decision-makers.

They will work with artists to explore ways to respond to environmental themes, as well as develop a creative programme at THG and across East Devon.

THG will continue their Youth Network and recruit a student intern as an engagement coordinator to produce off-site projects, events, and workshops.

Building on the success of THG's touring art space, the Creative Cabin, a new Creative Cabinet will be introduced.

This will be a more mobile and sustainable version, bringing art activities to rurally isolated communities.

The gallery and its youth team will work with nationally significant artist Ashish Ghadiali and other key partners including the University of Exeter, East Devon and Blackdown Hills National Landscapes, Double Elephant Print Workshop, Radical Ecology, Clyst Valley Regional Park, as well as Honiton, Axminster, and Sidmouth Community Colleges and Exeter College.

This project builds on the success of THG's 2023-24 COS project, which piloted youth-led events and resources.

It helped to dramatically increase the number and diversity of young people engaging with the gallery.

The funding will strengthen THG as a regional culture hub and help them explore a dynamic, collaborative way of working with rurally isolated young people to reach new audiences and embed them in the gallery programme.

Councillor Nick Hookway, East Devon District Council Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure, Sport, and Culture, said: "I would like to thank Arts Council England for this generous grant of £29,000 to develop the 'Create Our Space' project.

"It will enable THG to build on their genuine commitment to young people, from the leadership through to the volunteers, to make sure young people feel welcome and included in THG and their activities across East Devon.

"My congratulations to all those involved in winning this award.

"I look forward to seeing the project in action."