We’re back with Excav8 2.0!
A 20-week creative project for home-educated young people aged 12–16 in Southend. Join us at Southend Museums to explore art, technology, and local history, try new skills, and share your creations — all in a fun, supportive, and welcoming space. For the first time, participants can also work towards a Bronze Arts Award, a nationally recognised qualification that celebrates creativity, learning, and sharing skills with others.
Join us for a free taster session:
Wednesday 4 February 2026, 11am–1pm
Or
Wednesday 11 February 2026, 11am–1pm
Full project:
Every Wednesday in term time, 25 Feb – 15 July 2026, 11am–1pm
(No sessions during Easter holidays: 1 & 8 April, or May half term: 27 May)
Spaces are free but limited, so sign up now!
Team up with artist Laura Trevail to dive into hands-on making with micro:bits, Raspberry Pi, coding, sensors, storytelling, poetry and more. Mix history with modern tech, experiment, and create your own unique projects — discovering what it’s like to be part of something both new and ancient.
Get Creative with Art and Tech
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Excav8 2.0 gives young people a rare chance to go behind the scenes at Southend Museums’ new Collections Centre, seeing how artefacts are cared for, stored, and displayed. You’ll even get to help with documentation and creative responses, becoming part of the museum’s story and local history.
What is the Bronze Arts Award?
The Bronze Arts Award is a nationally recognised qualification that celebrates creativity and learning in the arts. It’s designed for young people aged 11–16 and gives participants the chance to:
Explore different art forms and try new creative activities
Take part in arts events and experiences
Share what they’ve learned and created with others
Working towards the Bronze Arts Award is fun, hands-on, and supportive, it’s about discovering your creativity, building confidence, and getting recognition for your achievements.
Find out more about the Bronze Arts Award on the Trinity College website here.
What are micro:bits?
With built-in features like an LED display, buttons, motion sensors, and Bluetooth connectivity, micro:bits are super versatile. You can code them to make games, create digital art, or even build smart devices that react to the world around you. Whether you're a complete beginner or already know a bit about coding, micro:bits are a fun and hands-on way to explore technology and get creative!
Micro:bits are tiny, programmable computers that make it easy to learn coding and create interactive projects. You can use them to control lights, sensors, and other cool gadgets, making them perfect for bringing your creative ideas to life!
Find out more about micro:bits here.
As a contextual artist, my work is largely to listen to a place, a problem, a need or an idea, and to craft that information into an experience that is both enjoyable and useful. I choose materials, process, aesthetic and form to suit the context. I weave actions in connected technology, innovation and transport, with traditional theatre, writing and visual art practice. My training and background is in live performance, sculpture, data relationships, human behaviour, horror, connected devices and value exchange. They play together well.
For more on Laura’s work visit lhtrevail.com
More about our project leader, artist Laura Trevail
excav8 2.0 is a free to access project for home educated young people from Elevator Arts in collaboration with Southend Museums.
The project is gratefully funded by National Lottery through Arts Council England.
