National Saturday Clubs enhance career prospects for young people

The National Saturday Club gives 13—16-year-olds across the UK the opportunity to study subjects they love at their local university, college or cultural institution, for free. Offering dynamic creative learning programmes in eight subject areas – Art&Design, Craft&Making, Fashion&Business, Film&Screen, Performance&Theatre, Science&Engineering, Society&Change and Writing&Talking – the extracurricular education model they have created works to develop young people’s skills, nurture their talents and encourage their creativity. 

As well as attending weekly Saturday classes led by expert tutors, Club members take part in a national programme of events including visits to cultural institutions; Masterclasses with industry; a Summer Show exhibition displaying their work; and a Graduation Ceremony. Over 15 years, the charity has formed a remarkable national network across further education, higher education, the cultural sector, and industry – working together in partnership – to deliver these enriching extracurricular activities.  

With a particular focus on engaging young people from underrepresented backgrounds, the National Saturday Club’s established model has proven impact. The programme offers a transformational opportunity to build versatile and creative skills, develop confidence and discover pathways to further study and future careers, outside of the school environment with no assessment pressure.  

Betsy Ballisch attended the Art&Design and Fashion&Business Saturday Clubs hosted by the University of Wolverhampton between 2017–2019. Betsy was also a member of the National Saturday Club’s first Youth Board cohort between 2022–24 and is now a Student Assistant at the Nottingham Trent University Art&Design Saturday Club where she is currently studying a BA in Fashion Knitwear Design. 

How did you hear about the Saturday Club and what sparked your interest in joining? 

I was homeschooled during secondary school, so I had very limited access to creative mediums and the arts. I was attending a workshop at the University of Wolverhampton and my mum happened to speak to the Saturday Club tutor, got the details, and then I signed up. 

Reflecting on your experience at the Club, how do you think it contributed to your personal development or wider education? 

I’ve suffered from ADHD and anxiety my whole life, which led to me dropping out of secondary school in Year 7. Because I was homeschooled, I didn’t think I would get into university; attending the Saturday Club at the university every week made me realise that higher education wasn’t such an alien thing, and I could actually do it. We were using the university facilities and university lecturers would host classes for us, so it became not scary at all.  

The Saturday Club tutor helped me out a lot because she knew my situation. I only have two GCSEs, so I didn’t think university would be an option for me. With the support and guidance of my Saturday Club tutor, I was able to get into college and produce a portfolio which supported my university application.  

The Club was just so different to school. There were so many creative careers I didn’t know about. They told us our future job may not even exist yet because of the way technology is evolving. And that was the thing, it was ok not to know exactly what you wanted to be because we were finding out that there were so many different jobs we could go into. 

What were your highlights from the programme? 

We had a Masterclass with a team from the footwear brand, Kickers and it’s still the coolest thing I’ve ever done. The Creative Director from Pentland Brands, Katie Greenyer, came to the Saturday Club and taught us how to design a pair of Kickers and we got to pick out the fabrics we wanted to use. My design was one of five that got chosen to be manufactured and the five of us got to go to the Pentland Brands head office in London. At the time I aspired to be a shoe designer, so it was incredible to be told that my design was the most ‘commercially ready’. My parents still have the shoes at their house in a display box. 

What have you been doing since the Saturday Club and how do you think the Club influenced the path you’ve taken? Is there anything you took from your experience at the Club that you still use today? 

Saturday Club taught me that there’s so much out there, and that creativity is such an experimental process, so why should you have to confine yourself to something? I first studied art at college and then I changed to a different college to study fashion. It was hard to change from a college where I had made friends to go and study something else in a different town, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Then with university, I was no longer scared by the thought of going, I knew that it was the right next step for me. Going to the Saturday Club gave me the confidence to make that jump, and I wouldn’t be doing fashion at university if it wasn’t for that confidence.  

It was also great to be on the Youth Board because the Saturday Club changed me so much and then I was able to make sure it continued to make those changes for other young people.   

Why do you think it’s important for young people to have access to opportunities like joining at Saturday Club? 

When I was at school, I was aware how constrictive the curriculum could be. Being in a space like the Saturday Club, creating how you want to, gives young people the mindset of not caring what everyone else says and being able to choose what’s good for them, what they want to learn and develop skills for where they want to go. 

Creativity is so vital to our development. At secondary school you’re told that you must achieve certain grades which will define what university you can go to and then that university experience is going to define the career you go into. And it’s like, why? I found that with creative subjects, it’s about your portfolio, your work, it’s about you.  

I am neurodivergent and I realised that a lot of creative people are neurodivergent. With the Saturday Club, you’re not being graded, you’re not being restricted by classroom rules, you’re not being told you need to do this in order to achieve that, it allows young people to grow and to discover themselves. 

How do you think schools can support young people to get involved in Saturday Clubs? 

I think that teachers should try to be aware of what extracurricular activity is happening in their local community. It might just be down the road. Even when I speak to my course tutors at Nottingham Trent University, they’re not even aware that a Saturday Club is happening in the same building. It’s crazy.  

If you’d like to encourage your students to attend a Club, then you can talk to the National Saturday Club team, local Saturday Club tutors and/or student assistant(s), and they’d be more than happy to come into the school and do a workshop or invite them into the Saturday Club space.  

It’s also great for young people to know that creative things are happening in their local community. I’m from a small town, but when you look at it from a creative perspective, it’s full of art and it’s full of life. It’s just about knowing what’s going on. If schools can share a list of extracurricular clubs and activities nearby, it’s going to do nothing but benefit your students. They’ll come back with new skills and it’s just better for them.  

And if there is no local Club – get in touch with the National Saturday Club and let them know you’re looking for one, it might be starting soon! 

How can schools find out more and get involved? 

There are currently over 120 Saturday Clubs hosted in colleges, universities and cultural institutions across the UK – and the network is growing! They are completely free to join and 13—16-year-olds of all abilities can apply via this application form. Capacity varies per Club, so it’s recommended that young people apply as soon as they can for the best chance of securing a space, and they can join the waitlist if the Club is full. Starting dates for the 2024-25 Club programme varies per Club. Find your local Club. 

If you would like the National Saturday Club to deliver a school assembly to your students about creative career possibilities and the advantages of attending a Saturday Club, please reach out to hello@saturday-club.org. 

To keep up to date with the National Saturday Club, sign up to their newsletter.  

To read more about the network and explore how Club tutors curate their weekly programmes, take innovative approaches to creative pedagogy and inspire young people nationwide, head over to the Saturday Club blog.