Canon has delivered its Canon Young People Programme in Scotland for the first time, bringing together 60 young people from six schools across four local councils – East Lothian, Fife, Falkirk and South Lanarkshire – for an immersive creative experience at the iconic Murrayfield Stadium.
Held at the end of March, the programme is designed to create meaningful community impact.
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the home of Scottish Rugby, pupils were introduced to digital storytelling through photography, using Canon’s latest digital cameras. Led by Canon Ambassador Clive Booth, the programme placed a strong emphasis on UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, which is Good Health and Wellbeing, using creativity as a tool to build confidence, collaboration and self-expression.
Students worked in groups, rotating through different areas of the stadium and responding to creative prompts. Under Clive’s guidance, each group was tasked with interpreting powerful words and emotions including flex, endure, belief, intense, succeed and compose, using props, paint and physical self-expression to bring their ideas to life. For many students, it was the first time they had ever held a camera. Over just two days, initial hesitation gave way to confident experimentation, with young people actively shaping visual stories that reflected their personalities, ideas and emotions, a powerful demonstration of the positive impact of hands-on creative learning on wellbeing.
Reflecting on the experience, Canon Ambassador Clive Booth said:
“What stood out for me was how quickly the young people found their confidence once they were given permission to experiment and express themselves. By working in teams, rotating roles and responding instinctively, they learned not just photography but collaboration, belief and resilience. Watching those moments of self-realisation is why storytelling workshops like this matter.”
Bringing the Canon Young People Programme to Scotland reflects Canon’s commitment to long-term, values-led partnerships with councils, schools and communities, using creativity to support young people beyond the classroom.
Adam Pensotti, Head of the Canon Young People Programme at Canon EMEA, said:
“Bringing the Canon Young People Programme to Scotland for the first time is an important milestone for us. CYPP is about creating meaningful touchpoints with young people and the communities around them. By focusing on creativity, confidence and wellbeing, we’re giving young people space to express themselves, work together and recognise the value of their own voice. Seeing that confidence grow over just two days is why this programme exists.”
Nicola Bartlett, Bid Centre Manager at Canon UK & Ireland added:
“This programme is a powerful example of our approach to social value in action. Our relationships with local councils go far beyond commercial activity – they’re about making a lasting, positive contribution to the communities we work in. Bringing CYPP to Scotland for the first time allows us to directly support young people, using creativity to promote confidence, collaboration and wellbeing, while aligning closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing.”
Over and above the immediate creative outputs, the programme demonstrated the value of early, coordinated engagement between employers, schools and local authorities. By bringing together pupils from multiple councils in a shared, real-world environment, the programme supported the aims of Developing the Young Workforce, helping young people build the confidence, transferable skills and awareness needed to navigate future education and career pathways.
Reflecting on the impact of the programme, Elaine Gorman, DYW School Coordinator, said:
“Experiences like this show just how powerful coordinated programmes can be when employers, councils and schools come together. Seeing quieter pupils grow in confidence and start to connect their creativity to potential future pathways is exactly what Developing the Young Workforce aims to unlock. These moments matter for Scotland’s young workforce, and they’re most effective when delivered through strong local collaboration, demonstrated by Canon.”
Canon worked closely with Edinburgh Rugby, with thanks to Kieran Cooney and the wider team for their support at Murrayfield.
Now in its tenth year, the Canon Young People Programme has reached more than 10,000 young participants across 35+ countries, collaborating with over 50 non-profit organisations to support youth voices on global sustainability issues. Through equipment support, guided training and platforms to amplify young voices, the programme empowers emerging storytellers to inspire positive change within their communities.
