Something special is happening in a creative room at Artsdepot in North Finchley. At first, the children and young people arrived as individuals. Some came quietly. Some came full of ideas. Some knew exactly what they wanted to make. Others were still working out where they fitted in. They were children sharing a space, sitting at the same tables, using the same materials, taking part in the same free creative programme. After several weeks together, that space feels differen

There is a special kind of quiet that arrives when young artists start a new project with a blank canvas. It is not an empty quiet. It is full of looking, choosing, wondering, and deciding. In our latest Creative Connection session at The Creative Hearts, that quiet settled gently across the room. Children aged 10 to 16 sat in front of their own A3 canvases, ready to begin something new. On the tables were reference images of still-life arrangements. Fruit, flowers, jugs, bot

Community support Barnet Community Interest: The CREATIVE HEARTS CIC Keeping creativity open and free for every child in our borough. Over the past year, hundreds of young people have found joy, friendship, and confidence through our workshops. To keep every single session entirely free of cost for families across Barnet, we rely on the kindness of neighbours like you. The difference our community creates together. Every brushstroke, storytelling circle, and craft afternoon i