The 2026 Young Creatives in Residence Exhibition was a wonderful celebration of local talent, showcasing works developed by our first resident artists Saanjana Kapoor and Chase McIntosh over their 12-week residency at Phoenix Youth Hub.

Held on 29 October in the Phoenix Gallery, the event welcomed 24 attendees, including family, friends, staff and community members, who enjoyed an afternoon of art, conversation, music and refreshments. The exhibition marks the end of the residency where the two artists had to opportunity to use the arts studio at Phoenix Youth Hub to create a collection of new work, while also organising and delivering two creative workshops for young people.

This pilot program has demonstrated the value of the strong partnership between Maribyrnong Youth, the Arts and Culture team, and our strong local youth arts community. It has created meaningful opportunities for young creatives to develop their practice and share their work with the community. Due to the great success this year, we are excited to be planning already for the next round of the residency in 2027.