At Keynsham Music Festival, we’ve always believed our event should be about more than just stages and sound systems. For us, it’s about creating opportunities, nurturing talent and building confidence within our community. That’s exactly why the Butterfly Project means so much to us.
How the Butterfly Project Began
The idea behind the Butterfly Project was simple: give local vulnerable young people the chance to learn new skills, work creatively together, and produce something they could be truly proud of. We wanted to create a project that felt ambitious, hands-on and inspiring — not just a workshop, but a real experience.
Working alongside partners including Arcadia Reach CIC, WTF Workshops, The Willow Project and Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, we brought together a group of young people and allowed them to take part in a welding and fabrication course led by skilled instructors.
For many of the participants, this was their first experience of metalwork. Watching them learn how to handle tools, understand materials and develop technical skills was inspiring from day one.
Creating Something Extraordinary
Together, the group designed and built a striking, large-scale butterfly sculpture. The butterfly symbol felt perfect to us – representing growth, transformation and new beginnings.
Seeing the sculpture take shape piece by piece was one of the most rewarding experiences of the entire festival build-up. What began as raw materials and tentative first welds soon became a powerful, collaborative artwork.
We were incredibly proud to see the finished butterfly showcased not only at our own festival, but also at Glastonbury Festival, a huge moment for the young people involved.
More Than a Sculpture
For us, the Butterfly Project has never just been about creating an artwork. It’s about:
- Building confidence
- Developing practical, transferable skills
- Encouraging teamwork
- Showing young people what they’re capable of
We’ve seen participants grow in confidence with every session — stepping up to challenges, supporting one another and taking genuine pride in what they’ve achieved.
Those moments – the smiles, the sense of accomplishment, the families coming to see the finished sculpture – are exactly why we do this.