The Portsmouth Creates Hub at Victorious Festival is back and bigger than ever for 2025 – celebrating local creativity with an exciting programme of markets and interactive creative activities. This year’s We Create Market, hosted within the hub, will feature work from talented HSDC Creative Enterprise Level 4 students, who are launching their own creative startups with support from Portsmouth Creates alongside local sellers and makers.

This collaboration has offered students the unique opportunity to transform classroom ideas into real-world business ventures. From limited-edition prints to T-shirt lines and creative gifts, the students are applying their skills, building confidence, and selling directly to festivalgoers.

One such student, Owen Lane, has created a successful line of monochrome T-shirts inspired by Portsmouth. Reflecting on the experience, he shared:

“I’m so happy that Portsmouth Creates teamed up with our course to help turn our classroom into a studio and then gave us a platform to sell our artwork. Making my first sale as an artist will stay with me for a long time—and now I have the drive to make more.”

The partnership is part of the wider Young Creates initiative, which provides mentoring, financial support, and live selling opportunities including We Shine and now Victorious Festival. Industry mentors like Maisy Fifield, an HSDC alumna and toy designer at Roblox, have also helped guide students through the business and creative process.

Course leader Paul Parsons said, “With the Young Creatives initiative, we help artists form ideas, develop outcomes, and, through support from Portsmouth Creates bring their concepts to life.”

Portsmouth Creates Programme Manager Billie Coe added “What excites me most is the quality and originality of the students’ work. Their products are genuinely unique and really raise the bar, they add something fresh and diverse to the overall We Create Market. It’s brilliant to see such strong, creative ideas brought to life and shared with the public in such a vibrant setting.”

Be sure to visit the We Create Market at Victorious Festival 2025 to meet these rising stars, shop local, and celebrate the next generation of creative talent from Portsmouth.