Our Impact...

DEVELOP, SKILLS, LEARN AND REFLECT (DSLR 16-25) ATTENDEES
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PEOPLE ATTENDED 'THEY WILL NOT TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY' EXHIBITION 23/08/24 - 08/09/24
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PEOPLE ATTENDED 'And everything In- Between' EXHIBITION 13/06/25 - 23/06/25
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DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT!

About this video
About this video

Sarah Jeffries shares how In Focus transformed her son’s confidence and wellbeing. She describes his journey from feeling isolated to becoming “more valued for the uniqueness that is him,” gaining self-belief and the courage to express himself. Starting as a shy newcomer, her son found a supportive, inclusive space that welcomed neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ young people. “he feels completely safe… like the people there understand him and he understands them,” Sarah says, highlighting the group’s unique blend of creativity and community. The impact reaches beyond sessions: “He’s calmer and more grounded… and much better now at talking about different choices and options around identity.” Exhibitions showcasing the young people’s work bring tangible pride and achievement, reinforcing their sense of belonging. Sarah’s advice to new joiners is simple but powerful: “Trust that you will be welcomed.” She calls In Focus “irreplaceable,” a place where creativity and belonging truly change lives.

IN THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORDS...

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF IN FOCUS:

What Participants Parents Professionals Have To Say

"The In Focus team are wonderful and endlessly encouraging - the 16-25 DSLR sessions are brilliant and the participants and team so welcoming. The team all have working knowledge of the cameras, and are always happy to share more about their own creative practices - from zine-making to a magazine of their own photography and writing! I have loved developing my photography skills, especially when we do mixed media work with the photographs we take in sessions. Through the sessions, I have also had the opportunity to partake in public exhibitions in Southampton and do workshops with Solent University."
DSLR Participant
DSLR ParticipantWEDS 16-25 GROUP
“It’s chill, but it’s chaotic! In the sense that it’s so chilled it becomes chaotic, because everyone’s so free to just be themselves and say whatever idea comes to their head. Ideas just kind of spiral, and you couldn’t plan for that, but I think that’s beautiful because that’s what being creative is. Having that space to just not feel judged, to express those ideas, is what makes it so great for me personally, anyway… I feel comfortable, and that’s not something that I’m always completely used to. So it’s quite nice to just go to a place and have ideas and not have them shut down, and actually have those ideas built upon into something better.”
DSLR Participant
DSLR ParticipantLGBTQIA+ GROUP
"Whether age or other intersectionalities. (my son) feels completely safe and like the people understand him and he understands them, and he often doesn’t feel that with other groups of people... It becomes really important; The Tuesday group - the neurodivergence, the support for the LGBTQIA+ community...and then to layer creativity onto that... That’s just irreplaceable because of the safety, the diversity, the inclusivity, and the feeling of: 'I belong'"...This becomes the place of influence and control that helps us to deal with the other stuff externally."
Parent of Participant
Parent of ParticipantLGBTQIA+ GROUP
I want to express my sincere appreciation for the In Focus Arts and Photography Workshops, which I attend every Friday. These photography sessions have been profoundly therapeutic for me. They offer a meaningful escape from the stress and anxiety I experience while adjusting to entirely new circumstances as a refugee. The workshops give me a sense of calm, purpose, and community during a very challenging time"
Participant
ParticipantFRIDAY GROUP
"The way In Focus worked with the young people helped them understand that learning can be creative and it doesn't have to be kind of so starchy. I think the evidence of that in their work is clear. They've produced some fantastic work and just seeing them not worry about: "Is it right? Is it wrong?" has got them to understand and appreciate that actually, anything goes. Your contributions, your creativity is as valid as the next person's. While people may have opinions about it, that's no bad thing either! It promotes debate, and seeing things differently. It enables young people to develop a whole array of skills."​
Jem Rycraft
Jem RycraftSKILLS 2 ACHIEVE

Exhibition Newspapers

These newspapers were printed for Exhibitions held at God’s House Tower, and were free for attendees to take away, holding in their hands a collection of work from the next generation of great artists!

Projects, Opportunities and Achievements

Examples of just some of the activities we’re proud of…click to read more!

Our Trip to Parliament


On Wednesday 11th June 2025, a group of us headed to Westminster, where we met with MPs to discuss the impact on trans people following the recent Supreme Court Ruling in April. Our values have remained unchanged over In Focus’s 10 years. Inclusivity is at the heart of all we do, and we are committed to fairness, equity and inclusion, and being a safe space for everyone.The LGBTQIA+ community are welcome and celebrated in all we do.

Exhibition: seeing things differently

Seeing Things Differently, a showcase of work created by young people as a result of their taking part in In Focus’ DSLR (Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect) programme, ran from 30th May to 16th June 2024. Spanning the whole of the main gallery space upstairs and with a complementary short film in the screening room one level down, the exhibition was the culmination of seven months of creative learning and engagement with groups of young people from Hampshire.

DSLR 16-25: Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect REPORT

Using photography as a baseline for our delivery, combined with other art forms and mediums including collage and creative writing, we offer a menu of options that work to encourage ownership of learning and increased rates of maintained engagement with those involved. We resolutely believe that allowing young people to direct their own learning means they are able to achieve better and more consistently, with longerlasting positive effects

Youth-Led Jane Austen Workshops with Southampton Forward at GHT

This partnership between In Focus Education & Development, Southampton Forward, and God’s House Tower offered a youth-led creative residency for young people at risk or not in education or employment. Participants designed and delivered public workshops, many for the first time, and were fairly paid for their work. The project explored Jane Austen’s legacy, inspiring the group to create lesson plans and lead workshops. On completion, each earned a “Know It and Show It” digital badge through Badge Nation, showcasing their new skills to employers.

Youth-Led Change Day- written by young participant

Soph has been attending our open DSLR 16–25 LGBTQIA+ sessions since October 2023 and continues to join our Tuesday night groups today.
In this post, they write about their trip to Birmingham for The Blagrave Trust’s Youth-Led Change Day: A Celebration of Youth Leadership and Social Change. This event brought together over 90 young changemakers, activists and leaders aged 18 to 30 for a day of learning, collaboration and action for social change with engaging workshops.

THE IN FOCUS Youth Leadership Group MEETINGS

As part of our commitment to ensuring youth voice is at the heart of everything we do, we have set up a Youth Leadership group to help steer us. The group consists of In Focus team members alongside our Trustee lead for Youth Leadership and Participation, Harry Holder who is a young person, and five young people who have participated In our programmes or completed work experience with us. We aim to amplify young people’s voices in shaping In Focus while supporting their growth through a Pathway that builds leadership skills and experience.

Hot off the Press

Click the articles below to explore some examples of our work hitting headlines!

Young artists’ work exhibited at historical Southampton landmark

"The evening’s programme featured a unique re-imagining of ‘They Will Not Take You Seriously,’ originally exhibited at God’s House Tower in August 2024. The re-envisioning of this work has been curated and installed by a young volunteer of the charity, Gazelle Goode, pictured top, in their creative space at Network Eagle Lab."

Arts-based learning helps support mental health and wellbeing

SO: Cultured is a regular column in Southampton’s Daily Echo that brings different perspectives and voices from the vibrant cultural and creative scene in Southampton. Launched in 2024 in partnership with Southampton Forward. In June 2025, Kristianne, our CEO, was featured in the column, sharing their experiences and creative journey.

Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to tackle violent crime

"OVER £3m worth of funding has been allocated to tackle the root cause of violence in Hampshire. One example of VRU support in the past includes when In Focus Education & Development CiC worked with a group of young people at Southampton Youth Offending Service to develop a series of posters that portray an anti-knife crime message."

In Focus exhibit young people’s art at God's House Tower

"Photography, poetry, and mixed media will fill God’s House Tower from Thursday. The range of work was created by people aged 16 to 25 taking part in charity In Focus’ Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect workshops. One participant said: "The people and the atmosphere, as well as the activities, make me feel really safe here."

review: Launch of They Will Not Take You Seriously

"They Will Not Take You Seriously also centres around the idea of labels and breaking free from their constraints—from the outright negative to those that might appear potentially positive or helpful. At the heart of this exhibition is a powerful statement: that you do not have to be pigeonholed, contained in a specific box or under one exacting label, to understand or define yourself as a person."

Recent Highlights...

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