Ajide’s Artist Journey

New Artist Development Programme

Maya Productions, a theatre company dedicated to enabling social change and promoting racial justice, partnered with darts – Doncaster’s award-winning Creative Health and Learning Charity – to deliver a new Artist Development Programme.

Supported by funding from the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership’s Communities Innovating Yorkshire Fund, the programme aimed to strengthen South Yorkshire’s pool of global majority freelance artists, expand skills and create new paid opportunities and pathways into the cultural and creative industries.

Nine artists took part in the programme in 2025/26, gaining hands-on experience in community arts practice. Trainees benefited from one-to-one mentoring with experienced participatory artists and industry professionals, practical experience through shadowing, co-delivery and leading sessions, continued professional development (CPD) and peer learning, as well as opportunities to build networks and industry connections.

Ajide’s starting point

When Ajide Adeyemi joined, he was already an established multidisciplinary artist, working across cultural performance, art therapy, playwrighting, festival organisation and consultancy in African/Yoruba culture and heritage. Despite his experience, Ajide was looking for a shift in his creative practice.

While working at Cast, he heard about the programme through a recommendation, which led him to apply. Ajide began with mixed emotions – excited by the opportunity to work alongside like-minded creative practitioners, but also unsure of what to expect. Initially expecting a classroom-based course, he was relieved to discover that the programme was grounded in hands-on practice-led learning within real community settings.

The traineeship experience

During the traineeship, Ajide spent time in a wide range of darts programmes across Doncaster, including Dance On for Parkinson’s in Armthorpe, Creative Directions in Edlington and Creative Classrooms at Grange Lane Infants Academy in Rossington. Several moments stood out as especially impactful.

Leading a drumming session with children at Grange Lane, Ajide was struck by the children’s incredible energy – singing, drumming and fulling joining in – highlighting how powerful music can be in unlocking participation and joy.

Equally impactful was his time with Quirky Choir. Initially unsure how to connect with such a highly structured and experienced group, Ajide found his confidence grow as he led a session and saw their positive response:

I felt right in the space, I was doing what I loved, and people loved what I was doing. I felt proud of myself.

Through these experiences, Ajide gained a deeper understanding of the differences between community art, participatory art and site-specific work. He also developed an awareness of adaptability as a core skill in participatory arts:

Situations, people, the environment – there are things you can’t control. You need to flow with it and adjust expectations. I’ve also learned that nothing is wrong. Everything is material that you are putting to the test.

A shift in practice

Before the traineeship, Ajide’s work was often self-led, with creative ideas developed independently and presented as finished pieces. Through the programme, is approach evolved significantly. He began to embrace co-creation, recognising the value of including participants fully in the creative process:

Everyone is involved in the process of making the art – even the audience members. I’ve gained clearer insight into what the audience wants and how to make it accessible to everyone. It doesn’t just end in the room.

Ajide also strengthened his skills in facilitation and session planning, communication and active listening, flexibility and responsiveness, collaborative working and shared decision making. Most importantly, he developed a more inclusive and accessible approach to creating art, ensuring that participants feel ownership, confidence and connection with the creative process.

The impact of the traineeship became clear when Ajide applied all his learning to a major project. Presented at Cast in April 2026, ÀTÙPÀ (The Spotlight): A Celebration of Yoruba Culture, combined a participatory workshop in African drumming and Bata dance with a cultural performance showcase and a new piece of writing developed and directed by Ajide. This project brought together all Ajide’s learning, demonstrated his ability to facilitate, create and collaborate and reflected his shift in approach towards shared creative ownership.

Lasting impact

Taking part in the traineeship has fundamentally reshaped Ajide’s artistic practice and future direction. He has moved from performer and producer to facilitator and collaborator:

I’ve learned to listen more, let people contribute and share ownership to see where works can go.

The traineeship has also increased his confidence in working across diverse community settings and strengthened his ability to adapt his practice to meet different needs. Reflecting on the experience, Ajide encourages future artists to be open and willing to move beyond their established ways of working:

Diversification is key – this programme helps you grow beyond a single way of working.

Forget what you think you know and embrace new experiences.

Success comes when opportunity meets preparation.

Through the traineeship, Ajide has not only expanded his skillset but redefined his role as an artist – moving from creating for audiences to creating with them.