Going Places: Carefree Cornwall

A central aim of Art Fund Going Places is to work collaboratively with communities on every exhibition, particularly with groups whose voices are often underrepresented.

As part of the development of Making Her Mark, Penlee House Gallery & Museum partnered with Cornish charity Carefree Cornwall to work with care-experienced young people.

The project began in summer 2025 with a series of taster sessions and visits to local cultural spaces alongside artist Elizabeth Howell. The young people also travelled to Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum and Kirkcaldy Galleries, to meet peers involved in the wider Going Places programme, share ideas and experiences, and see how museums across the UK are working with young people to shape exhibitions.

From September 2025, participants worked with artist Kate Turner, forming KLUB KEVRENNEK (Cornish for kind, social and sharing). Together, they explored intersectional voices and perspectives, imagining what a fairer world for women and marginalised genders could look like.

Inspired by artworks from partner venues, the group experimented with a range of artistic techniques to create their own work. The project culminated in a collaborative protest banner expressing their ideas, featuring a custom typeface designed by the young people, alongside creative writing and imagery developed throughout the project.

A huge thank you to the many young people from Carefree Cornwall who contributed their creativity, ideas and voices, and to Carefree staff Karen Stephens and Nikki Speer for their support.

Making Her Mark is a major exhibition that is part of Going Places, an Art Fund programme made possible with major support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Julia Rausing Trust.

Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art’ at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, part of Art Fund’s Going Places programme © Tom Last/Art Fund 2026