Wordsley’s Red House Glass Cone staged its first ever Teenage Market at the weekend, giving young traders and buskers a chance to showcase their creative products and talents for free.

The Teenage Market is a growing nationwide initiative which gives young people the chance to develop their business skills by selling items they have made or traded themselves, with the aim of bringing a new energy and new audiences to town centres and other venues. Stalls are free and everything the youngsters make, they keep.

The Red House Glass Cone held a two day market and also offered slots for buskers and performers. Stalls included handmade jewellery, trinkets, cakes, photos and bunting. Entertainment included magician Jack Taylor on both days and buskers, Alice Perry and Harriet Larkin. The Dudley Youth Council supported the event and Connor Hill, Member of Dudley Youth Parliament also had a stall.

The Mayor of Dudley, Cllr Mohammed Hanif and the Mayoress visited the event where they spent time with the stallholders and performers.  

The weekend was a huge success, with hundreds of visitors and many supportive posts on social media. Interest is already high for the cone’s second Teenage Market due to be held on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November during the cone’s Christmas family weekend and bookings are already being taken. Mayor of Dudley, Cllr Mohammed Hanif said:

“It was an absolute pleasure to visit The Teenage Market at the Red House Glass Cone. The young people were so enthusiastic, warm and engaging. They took the event seriously and we clearly have some creative and canny business minds in our midst.

“The Red House Glass Cone was the perfect venue for this innovative project, building on its reputation as a creative site with lots of business opportunities.”

The Red House Glass Cone, High Street, Wordsley, is open 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday and 11am – 4pm at the weekends. Admission is free. 

To apply to be a trader or performer, or to find out more about the market, visit theteenagemarket.co.uk.