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.
This video was part of the exhibition at God’s House Tower in June 2025
About the Artists: And Everything In-Between is an exhibition of work made by young people between the ages of 16-25. All the exhibiting artists are participants of the DSLR (Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect, 16-25) workshops developed, hosted and run by the charity In Focus Education & Development, between September 2024 and April 2025., supported by Arts Council England , The National Lottery Community Fund Quilter , Blagrave Trust and Quakers.
This poem was written and performed by young participants at In Focus Education & Development as part of their exhibition, ‘They Will Not Take You Seriously’ at God’s House Tower in August 2024.
Seeing Things Differently is a group exhibition from the group of young people on the Develop Skills, Learn & Reflect 16-25 Programme 2023-24 with In Focus Education and Development.
This Award, run in partnership with Engage, annually celebrates the achievements of individuals working in learning and education within gallery or visual arts contexts who have shown innovation and dedication to their work.
Colleagues are invited to nominate deserving co-workers every summer. The Award is open to those working in both the UK and internationally and is to be spent on the professional development of the nominee.
Nominations are judged by a panel consisting of representatives of Engage, the MCT, and colleagues from the sector.
DSLR 1625 Participant shares insight to shared art in their LGBTQIA+ group
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!
Examples of just some of the activities we’re proud of…click to read more!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Click the articles below to explore some examples of our work hitting headlines!
"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."
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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
