Upgrade Yourself Festival 2026
Upgrade Yourself Festival connects emerging creatives (ages 16 – 30) with trailblazing talent and industry experts on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August.
This year we are going beyond your traditional careers festival and creating a space where creativity is celebrated as a tool for self-expression, imagination and collective growth.
We’re inviting you to join us for two days of dreaming, reflecting, imagining and testing new ideas. Empowering you to express yourself, build your community, share your work and experiment boldly.
As always, the Upgrade Yourself Festival is free to attend with free food and drink so you can fuel up while you explore and create!
For 16 -30 year olds, supported with BSL interpretation
| Dates | Fri 7 & Sat 8 Aug 2026 |
| Times | Fri, 4–8.30pm Sat, 12–5.30pm |
| Space | Across Somerset House New Wing |
| Price | Free |
Programme
Drop-in
Dream the Check! A creative drop-in workshop from Run the Check
Drop-in
River Rooms
Drop-in
Imagining Better Digital Futures with Identity 2.0
Drop-in
G18
Drop-in
1:1 Mentoring
Drop-in
River Rooms
Speakers:
Zulum Elumogo – BUSINESS / ENTERPRISE
Vanessa Maria – MUSIC
Julia Head – THEATRE
Manu Nandha – COMMUNITY BUILDING
Giovanna Vierra Co – FASHION
Workshop
The Story Only You Can Tell with House of Vox
Workshop
G20
In conversation
Make things, think critically, work together: Ideas space with Alternative School of Economics
In conversation
G16
Workshop
The Story Only You Can Tell with House of Vox
Workshop
G20
In conversation
Alternative media futures: Ideas space with Sludge Magazine
In conversation
G16
Workshop
Power to the People: Using Comedy to Back Yourself with FOC IT UP
Workshop
G20
Workshop
The Story Only You Can Tell with House of Vox
Workshop
G20
Drop-in
1:1 Mentoring
Drop-in
River Rooms
Speakers:
Zulum Elumogo – BUSINESS/ ENTERPRISE
Vanessa Maria - MUSIC
Sam Williams – GRAPHIC DESIGN
Julia Head- THEATRE
Sanchit Bembi – DESIGN
Drop-in
Dream the Check! A creative drop-in workshop from Run the Check
Drop-in
River Rooms
Discussion
Working with Nature: Regeneration as Creative Practice
Discussion
G16
Workshop
Planning Your Career Flight Path
Workshop
G18
Workshop
The Story Only You Can Tell with House of Vox
Workshop
G20
Workshop
Steal like an Artist: Marketing lessons from the underground
Workshop
G18
Workshop
Power to the People: Using Comedy to Back Yourself
Workshop
G20
Workshop
Power to the People: Using Comedy to Back Yourself
Workshop
G20
Across both days
Central Hub - Lancaster Room
Throughout the festival, Lancaster Room will be your central hub for relaxing, eating, reflecting, and being supported to connect, create and share without pressure. Throughout the festival, the space will offer:
- Free food and drinks provided by Clement Worrell
- Opportunity to network and connect with others, hosted by Strangers in the City
- Craft and Connect, facilitated by artists embedded in community and regenerative practices.
- Headshots with Kwame Dapa
- Run the Check Jobs Board IRL jobs board of current creative opportunities, from Run the Check!
- Jobs and freelance work to open calls, commissions, and paid projects. Curated by Run the Check, this in-person jobs board brings together opportunities across the creative industries, inviting you to explore current roles that align with your interests, skills, and aspirations.
Towards the end of the day, we’re launching our NEW festival sharing space. Hosted by House of Vox, you’ll have the opportunity to share something you've been working on in a supportive space – a song, a poem, an idea – whatever you want. It can also be a chance to let the community know about other opportunities you might know of or be involved in or reflect on the festival and wider themes discussed throughout the day.
There are very few rules: just keep it PC, be considerate of others in the space, and if you want to share music – it's got to be done acapella!
If you’ve got something you want to share, sign-ups to do so will be - open throughout the day.
Across both days, the central hub is your space to connect, craft and reflect. The Tatreez Collective will be running a crafting activity throughout. Learn how to embroider Palestinian Tatreez embroidery, with materials provided - or you are invited to bring an old tote bag to embroider onto!
The Tatreez Collective is a London-based cultural organisation dedicated to preserving and celebrating Palestinian embroidery. Through workshops, collaborative projects and handmade products, the Collective shares traditional Palestinian craft while creating sustainable, fairly paid opportunities for women artisans in Palestine.
Access information
Our ambition is to make this event accessible to everyone, but we know there is work to do!
Upgrade Yourself Festival will take place in G Rooms, River Rooms and Lancaster Rooms at Somerset House (New Wing). The space is on the ground floor and accessible to wheelchair users. There is an accessible toilet close by and all toilets will be gender neutral. There will also be a quiet space available
The event will be supported through BSL Interpretation on Friday 7 August and Saturday 8 August.
If you would like more information or to request specific access support, please email: engagement@somersethouse.org.uk prior to arriving.
We are constantly working towards making our events more accessible, if you have any feedback on how we can improve. Please let us know!