20 Years, 20 Stories
On 16 October 2006, Ignite! was founded with a mission of identifying and nurturing creativity in children and young people. Since then, we’ve engaged thousands and thousands of people in our programmes, helping them to see the power of their own talents, interests, skills and imaginations, make new connections and have joyful and wonderful experiences they would not otherwise have had.
As we take a moment to reflect in 2026, we see that much has changed both at Ignite! and in the world in which we find ourselves, but that commitment to opening up access to creativity and curiosity remains unwavering.
In celebration of 20 years of Ignite! as an independent organisation, we’ve taken the opportunity to pull together a booklet 20 Stories from 20 Years. What a joy it’s been to reconnect with the twenty individuals profiled in the booklet, as well as countless others who we can see from afar, including two once-budding photographers whose careers have flourished, with one an image archivist at Vivienne Westwood and another whose work is on permanent display at the National Portrait Gallery. And delightfully the pupil who once wrote a letter of resignation from primary school in order to take on a full-time position with his Lab 13 Management Committee, who now works within the NHS and as an independent ceramicist. What an honour to follow the journeys of young people we’ve supported as we reflect on the past 20 years.
We’ve compiled 20 stories of young people, interns, staff, creatives and trustees, and in their richness they convey the wide ranging impact Ignite! has had and continues to have to this day. These stories are the quiet shifts of perspective, the monumental realisations, the power of someone believing in you, trusting you, the joy in collaboration, the turning points, the full-circle moments, the slow burn only possible through consistency and determination.
We hope these stories make you smile and encourage you to reflect on your own journey with Ignite!. In an ever changing world, the need for new ideas and imagination has never been greater; we hope that these stories inspire and we will look back in 20 years' time on many more creative sparks.
If you would like a printed copy of our 20 Year 20 Stories please get in touch and we can arrange delivery.
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