Each year, the National Saturday Club Summer Show brings together the creativity, imagination and ambition of young people from across the UK.
This year, the Summer Show returned to Somerset House, presenting work by over 2,250 13–16-year-old Club members from 129 Saturday Clubs at universities, colleges and cultural organisations across the UK.
Presented as a trail across four zones —Create, Imagine, Inspire and Empower— in gallery spaces across Somerset House, the exhibition celebrated the ideas, skills and voices of young people, with each Saturday Club showcasing a collaborative project developed through their weekly Club sessions.
Discover the highlights below…
A joyful celebration of young people’s creativity
Across the four exhibition zones, visitors were invited to explore the creative journeys of Club members. Create showcased projects rooted in making, collaboration and experimentation, while Imagine highlighted the power of ideas, local community and creative possibility. Inspire shared the impact of Masterclasses and creative encounters, and Empower celebrated young people’s voices, perspectives and confidence.
For Club members, seeing their work displayed at Somerset House offered a powerful moment of recognition and pride.
Celebrating Club members at Graduation Ceremonies
Alongside the exhibition, this year’s Graduation Ceremonies were, once again, hosted by the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology, providing a fitting setting to recognise the commitment and achievements of Club members. Club members came together with their Club, their families and friends to celebrate a year of learning, making and creative exploration.
Receiving their certificates marked an important milestone in their Saturday Club journey, celebrating the confidence, skills and friendships developed throughout the year. The ceremonies were filled with energy and pride, with heartfelt speeches from Sara Whybrew, Director of Skills and Workforce Development at BFI; Steven Kavuma, Theatre Director; Reece McMahon, Director at Chisenhale Dance Space; and Sim Scavazza, Saturday Club Trust Trustee – all of the ceremonies were brilliantly compèred by Anaish Yilma-Parmar.
Designing the Summer Show with the Youth Board
This year, members of the National Saturday Club Youth Board played a key role in shaping the Summer Show’s design.
Working closely with exhibition designer Juliet Quintero, Public Art Matters, and graphic designer Tom McEvoy, Studio Quercus, members of the Youth Board formed a steering group that met over three online sessions to learn more about the design process, exhibition plans and layouts for this year’s Summer Show. Across the sessions, they shared ideas and feedback on how the exhibition could reflect the experience of being part of a Saturday Club and feel engaging for Club members, families and visitors.
Key ideas and recommendations from the Youth Board were taken forward, including the exhibition’s zoning and the names of the areas, which reflected young people’s journey through the Club. They also helped shape the idea of the ‘stamp it’ stations.
Welcoming special guests
Ahead of the Private View, the National Saturday Club hosted a Donor Reception to thank funders and supporters whose generosity and commitment make the programme possible. The evening continued with the Private View, welcoming special guests and speakers, including Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE FSA, Director of V&A East; Jonathan Reekie CBE, Director of Somerset House; and Zora, National Saturday Club Youth Board member.
Reflecting on the importance of creative opportunity, Dr Gus Casely-Hayford described the National Saturday Club as a “critical, vital organ of creative opportunity”, adding: “We need to create the spaces where young people can have those transformative opportunities.” Jonathan Reekie celebrated the significance of Club members exhibiting at Somerset House, saying that the opportunity to show their work publicly alongside established creatives was “a really special thing” and made him feel “very optimistic and positive for our creative future.”
Zora shared how joining Saturday Club at 13 gave her the confidence to recognise herself as an artist. She reflected: “The title of artist should not be reserved for a few. In fact, it should be allocated to the many.” Closing with a powerful message to supporters, she said: “Value young creators while the world learns to value them. Give that 13-year-old a chance. It might change everything for them.”
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped bring the Summer Show to life!
The National Saturday Club’s work is made possible through the support of a wide network of partners, funders and donors. In 2025-26 we have been deeply grateful for the continued commitment of Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, alongside significant renewed support from the British Film Institute awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding for Film&Screen, The Goldsmiths’ Company for Art&Design, QEST in partnership with Howdens for Craft&Making, British Fashion Council for Fashion&Business, Clore Duffield Foundation for Performance&Theatre, and William Kessler Charitable Trust, Stewarts Foundation and the Founders’ Company as well as many other generous donors.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to the network of universities, colleges, museums and cultural institutions that invest in Saturday Clubs locally across the UK, helping make free creative opportunities possible for young people in their communities.
Also, we would like to thank Somerset House Trust for their long-term support hosting the Summer Show, Public Art Matters (PAM) for exhibition design, Studio Quercus for graphic design, KitMapper for AV, BEAM for lighting, Arcola Products for exhibition print, GF Smith and FE Burman for support with paper and printing, Wilson James as our deliveries and collections partner, as well as the whole team of art technicians and event stewards who installed and supported the exhibition and events.
The creativity, expertise and support of a remarkable national network brought this year’s Summer Show to life.