Post on 24-Jun-2020
transcript
One borough; one community;
London’s growth opportunity
Cultural Education Partnership
First Young People’s Conference Report
First Young People’s Conference Cultural Education Partnership
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Table of Contents Document Control – Revision History ..................................................................... 3
Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4
2. Key Themes ........................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Creativity for personal development and wellbeing ........................................... 5
2.2 Creativity as a tool: real world application ......................................................... 5
2.3 Engagement: understanding the context for young people ............................... 5
3. Ambitions and aspirations ...................................................................................... 6
3.1 Range of activities in the creative and cultural offering ..................................... 6
3.2 Creativity as a tool ............................................................................................ 6
3.3 Recommendations ............................................................................................ 6
4. Benefits of Creativity .............................................................................................. 7
4.1 Positive feelings and enjoyment ........................................................................ 7
4.2 Self-expression ................................................................................................. 7
4.3 Identity .............................................................................................................. 7
4.4 Increased confidence ........................................................................................ 8
4.5 Communicating with others ............................................................................... 8
4.6 Opportunities to try new things .......................................................................... 8
4.7 Recommendations ............................................................................................ 8
5. Barriers to Creativity ............................................................................................... 9
5.1 Fear of judgement ............................................................................................. 9
5.2 Expectations and preconceptions ..................................................................... 9
5.3 Accessibility ...................................................................................................... 9
5.4 Resources ......................................................................................................... 9
5.5 Time ................................................................................................................ 10
5.6 Recommendations .......................................................................................... 10
6. Overcoming barriers ............................................................................................. 11
6.1 Inspiration and confidence building ................................................................. 11
6.2 Bringing people together ................................................................................. 11
6.3 Resources ....................................................................................................... 11
6.4 Connectivity .................................................................................................... 11
6.5 Recommendations .......................................................................................... 11
Appendices ........................................................................................................... 12
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Document Control – Revision History
Version Date Amended By Summary of changes
1.0 16/11/17 Josephine Altham First draft
1.1 22/11/17 Josephine Altham Updated following comments from Nigel Sagar
1.2 28/11/17 Josephine Altham Updated following comments from Nigel Sagar
1.3 06/12/17 Josephine Altham Updated following comments from Nigel Sagar
1.4 18/12/17 Josephine Altham Updated following comments from Louise Barnell
Executive Summary The conference celebrated the achievements and aspirations of the young people
present. It was an exciting start to a continuing conversation about their perception of
culture and creativity and the barriers to access. The aspirations of the young people
acted as a challenge to the borough and its partners. We need to maintain that
forward momentum as we embed their voice at the centre of strategy.
The key emergent themes:
• Creativity for personal development and wellbeing
• Creativity as a tool: real world application
• Engagement: understanding the context for young people
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1. Introduction Each year organisations that make up the Barking and Dagenham cultural education
partnership (CEP) come together for a conference to share best practice and discuss
future directions. This year, for the first-time, young people were offered an
equivalent space for dedicated discussion.
Held on the 6 October 2017 in Barking and Dagenham College, the conference
brought together young people and teachers from 18 different schools and
individuals from 4 arts organisationsi. Studio 3 Arts curated the conference with Liza
Vallance, Ashley J and Jade Hackett facilitating. The format involved a series of
workshops each centred around a group of questionsii with a short plenary after
each.
The Marsh Green Drummers opened the conference with a procession through B&D
College culminating in a professional high-energy performance for the assembled
participants. This atmospheric beginning set the tone for a day filled with enthusiasm
and aspiration. Participants also met representatives from the digital technology
giant, Huawei, as they are currently working with the college. Members of the Big
Deal1 programme contributed accomplished performances, inspirational words and
supported with facilitation. Thomasina performed an original song and Sauce closed
the conference with a powerful freestyle rap based on themes that emerged over the
morning. Koby performed a street dance routine and spoke about his experience
competing in the USA. All the performers actively encouraged participants through
both example and discussion. They persuaded several students to attend Big Deal
workshops to develop their existing interests.
The principal areas of enquiry at the conference covered the what, the where, the
who, the why and the future of creativity. They were the starting point for a frank
and open discussion. The conference offered a space which enabled attendees to
reflect and they posed increasingly challenging questions over the course of the day.
Those who attended were likely some of the most culturally engaged; further
consideration is needed as to how we capture the voice of those not in attendance.
The young people brought a passion and power to discussions that need to resound
throughout the CEP. Their insight and the themes that emerged indicate how vital it
is to draw on the perspectives of this group. This conference acted as a renewal of
the challenge to support our young people to achieve through cultural education
provision in Barking and Dagenham.
1 “Big Deal is Studio 3 Arts’ award-winning, flagship programme for young people.” http://www.studio3arts.org.uk/open-access/
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2. Key Themes
2.1 Creativity for personal development and wellbeing The young people at the conference effectively made a case for creativity as a tool
for personal development. They indicated how previous opportunities had helped
them to build confidence and resilience and demonstrated how future opportunities
can further this. The offer should be both broad and fresh to allow people to explore
new activities or to develop existing skills in new ways. The young people at the
conference demonstrated understanding of how they could self-serve to support their
own development. We need to find the balance between supporting and empowering
students, recognising their needs as individuals.
One of the striking themes present was the capacity for creativity to impact on
wellbeing. At a time when incidence of child mental health issues is rising sharply2; it
is crucial to acknowledge the value young people place on creativity as an avenue to
work through strong feelings and navigate their social environments.
2.2 Creativity as a tool: real world application Applying creativity to challenges in the real world has the potential to capitalise on
the enthusiasm of engaged young people. Achieving this would likely involve a broad
activity base which relates to all aspects of shows or productions. The added
advantage is opportunities are provided for students who would not label themselves
as “creative” or “performers”. This can then be developed into alternative career
pathways and lead to students gaining skills that will leave them better equipped for
the workplace.
Creativity as a tool to challenge expectations or stereotypes could also be further
developed with young people. Encouraging students to harness the power of
creative devices and use them to communicate ideas and messages that they feel
are important and relevant to them is a powerful way to demonstrate application.
2.3 Engagement: understanding the context for young people The first dedicated young people’s conference was an important initial step. To build
on this work it will not only be vital to continue to engage with young people, but also
to further understand their context. Parents/guardians facilitate access to creative
activities and transfer expectations about creativity to the young people for whom
they are responsible. We need to engage with parents and guardians to engage
them as an enabling factor for young people, as well as directly capturing the voice
of young people in a number of settings.
2 http://thriveldn.co.uk/children-and-young-people/ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/teenage-mental-health- crisis- rates-of-depression-have-soared-in-the-past-25-years-a6894676.html
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3. Ambitions and aspirations • How can we promote less “visible” arts?
• What is the prevailing view of a creative career amongst young people?
• How can we ground young people’s experience of creativity in application?
3.1 Range of activities in the creative and cultural offering The spread of activitiesiii participants are involved in reflected the enthusiasm and
high levels of aspiration at the conference. The activities most frequently mentioned
were also some of the most “visible” and already known to be a strength in the
borough. Participants’ ambitions, for the most part, mirrored activities they had
experienced directly or through popular culture. However, there seems to be a
distinct appetite to try new activities they had not yet had the opportunity to access.
For some, creative careers, money and fame were linked, perhaps influenced by the
end-products of the creative industries they encounter. Widening the activity base
could be a route to broadening common pathways into the creative industries. This
could include access to technical and behind-the-scenes roles and would reflect the
desire amongst the young people at the conference to access new opportunities and
alternative pathways.
3.2 Creativity as a tool Participants discussed creativity as a tool, centred around direct applications to
convey messages in their communities, particularly increasing social cohesion and
challenging stereotypes. The vast range of opportunities offered by creative work
was only lightly touched on. Creativity as an avenue to effect societal change and/or
communicate could be linked to existing work and thereby careers.
3.3 Recommendations - Increase the availability of less “visible” activities, including technical roles, to
reflect the ambitions of young people and broaden routes into the creative
industries
- Encourage direct application of creativity to challenges, such as social
cohesion and stereotyping
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4. Benefits of Creativity • Is the importance of creativity for young people’s wellbeing acknowledged?
• How can creating original work be maximised as a development opportunity?
• Do young people feel they can harness the power of creativity to impact
society?
4.1 Positive feelings and enjoyment Participants were clearly enthusiastic about creative activities and they expressed
the feelings shown below.
Figure 1 – How does creativity make you feel?3
Their conversations indicated they associated creativity with fun and enjoyment. This
was evident when they were talking about where they valued as a creative place, as
well as being expressed directly. These feelings are enormously valuable for young
people’s wellbeing, and it is vital that children and young people have opportunities
to feel this way. Engaging young people to curate and define the availability and type
of activities should help ensure that these levels of enjoyment are maintained.
4.2 Self-expression Conversations indicated that the act of solo creative activity appeared to be linked to
self-expression and understanding in the minds of participants. Many of the
responses indicated a reflective, almost meditative process in which they would
become incredibly absorbed. Some put this as an escape or release into their own
world. Young people should feel empowered to engage in solo creative activity, so
they can access the benefits they perceive.
4.3 Identity Attendees connected the creative process with exploration of identity and the idea of
being part of a group or an outsider. Young people should have the opportunity to
explore their identity and creativity is a possible medium for this. Some groups
present at the conference had a strong collective identity, this noticeably drew other
3 More frequently used words appear larger
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participants to their collective charisma and gave them a certain power. Furthermore,
young people from creative groups with strong identities talked of the benefits.
Opportunities to be part of a group or project may allow them to develop a shared
identity centred around a common purpose.
4.4 Increased confidence Over the course of the conference we observed the young people becoming
increasingly confident and speaking about their experiences in a frank and articulate
manner. Participants spoke about how previous performance opportunities had
helped increase their confidence. There were also many indications they were using
skills they had acquired to produce original work. Opportunities to produce work of
this kind elicited feelings of pride, ownership and responsibility. It is likely this acted
as a confidence building exercise and has the potential to increase resilience and
challenge young people to improve their work, if the right platforms for sharing are
available. To gain these benefits young people should be offered the opportunity to
share a piece of original work in a positive, constructive environment.
4.5 Communicating with others Participants explored creativity as an opportunity to bring new people together and
challenge preconceptions. Their discussions tended to focus on application in their
own communities. Facets included the power of creativity to build confidence among
young people and support them to resist negative external influences. Understanding
the power of the creative arts to communicate could be explored more overtly
incorporating issues like community wellbeing which they felt were important. This
could be done in a way that emphasises the potential impacts of being challenged
creatively.
4.6 Opportunities to try new things Young people had a clear wish to try new activities and develop their existing
interests through creating original work. Where participants have already performed
at a venue they were eager to repeat that experience. Balancing this exploration with
places where participants feel safe to express themselves is a key challenge.
Creative activities have clearly offered these young people exciting opportunities
they would not otherwise have accessed. We should be engaging with young people
to find out about the types of opportunities to appeal to them, but also to offer
challenges and suggestions of new activities outside their experience.
4.7 Recommendations - Increase opportunities for young people to curate and define the cultural and
creative offer
- Ensure young people feel empowered to engage in solo creative activity
- Facilitate opportunities for young people to develop a shared identity around a
common purpose and share original work in a positive, constructive
environment
- Explore creativity as a communication medium, supporting young people to
challenge themselves and others
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5. Barriers to Creativity • Are creative opportunities conducted in a psychologically safe environment?
• Are all students offered opportunities to create their own work?
• Is there sufficient signposting to existing provision?
• How do we continue to support participation as demands on teachers and
students increase?
5.1 Fear of judgement Sharing creative work can be exposing, but also a rewarding challenge, especially if
the work is original and personal. Young people clearly desire opportunities to create
in a ‘safe space’ which was defined by some as where, “no-one is watching or
judging”, “everyone is equal” and there is “space to be free”. Participants were
concerned about not being good enough and they also raised the idea of having
freedom to create on your own terms. The way they described these fears indicated
they would be heightened in places where they felt there was additional social
pressure. Young people should be able to access opportunities in an environment
where the feel safe, confident and able to contribute.
5.2 Expectations and preconceptions Young people extensively discussed the influence of key adults on their lives. Some
felt that their parents may be a barrier to their involvement in creative activities. Ideas
around the value and accessibility of creative activities were considered as barriers
for parents. Others felt there were religious or cultural barriers to involvement.
Engaging parents/guardians needs to be a key part of consulting young people as
this will help us understand the context and barriers they face.
5.3 Accessibility Participants perceived activities would be more difficult to access for those with
different ethnicity, sexuality, ability, age and those with mental illness. They also
thought particular groups or people with certain characteristics would be less
confident. This could be further explored by understanding demographics of
individuals and groups that currently engage with activities and why those that don’t
choose not to. Activities should be available to everyone and, where they are, we
need to ensure they are perceived as accessible.
The students at the conference were well engaged with cultural activities. The voice
of students who are not as engaged and would not label themselves “creative” may
provide a very different perspective on the current cultural offering. Those whose
voice has not been captured are essentially invisible to us, we need to create
opportunities for these people to be visible and engage with them in ways they feel
comfortable. This includes children and young people that wouldn’t usually be
engaged via schools.
5.4 Resources Many participants discussed money and lack of facilities or clubs as a barrier to
further involvement in the cultural offering. This may be aggravated by insufficient
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information about the available activities in the borough. There should be provision
for all our young people to engage with cultural activities and we should consider
how they may be supported to access them.
5.5 Time Attendees considered timings of activities and coordination with school, exams and
transport a barrier. These considerations are important to young people and should
be addressed when creating the cultural offer.
5.6 Recommendations - Understand the context and barriers for young people, including engaging
parents/guardians
- Create opportunities for people to be visible and have their voices heard by
engaging with them in ways they feel comfortable
- Provide opportunities for all our young people to engage with cultural
activities and consider how we can support them according to their needs
- Consider the ways young people and their carers access information about
creative activities
- Ensure activities are accessible and perceived to be accessible, including with
respect to practicalities such as time and location
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6. Overcoming barriers • Are we facilitating activities that leave young people feeling empowered?
• How can we encourage young people to overcome barriers for themselves?
• How can creativity be used to build local confidence?
• How can preconceptions about the value of creativity be challenged?
• How do we capture the voices of people who are not engaged?
6.1 Inspiration and confidence building The participants felt they could overcome some of the fears of judgement and lack of
confidence through practice. Their methods were to encourage others and practice
performing in front of people they felt comfortable with first. A second idea was to
hear from inspiring people such as celebrities or people who had overcome their
inhibitions. Their answers displayed an understanding that they could overcome
these barriers themselves supported by the availability of appropriate opportunities.
6.2 Bringing people together Participants felt events that bring people together have immense value, especially
where they facilitate opportunities for young people to create together. They were
clearly desirous of sharing their obvious enjoyment of creativity with a wish to “have
performances for people everywhere”. Another part of this idea was using these
events to challenge people’s perception of the arts and persuade them of their value.
Facilitating opportunities for young people to run activities to overcome some of
these barriers could be a way to harness their enthusiasm, build their own
confidence and challenge perceptions in their communities.
6.3 Resources Suggestions focused around obtaining more money for activities to offer free clubs
and bursaries for creativity.
6.4 Connectivity Suggestions for increasing accessibility included people being made aware of
activities through newsletters and opportunities to cycle to venues.
6.5 Recommendations - Facilitate opportunities for young people to speak directly to people they find
inspiring
- Support young people to overcome barriers for themselves and recognise
distinct types and levels of support are required by different individuals
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Appendices
iParticipating Organisations
• Marsh Green Primary School
• Valence Primary School
• Northbury Primary School
• Thames View Junior School
• Grafton Primary School
• Eastbury community school
• Jo Richardson Community School
• Beam Primary School
• Dagenham Park School
• Trinity Special School
• Barking Abbey School
• Leys Primary School
• The Sydney Russell School
• Riverside School
• Greatfields School
• Parsloes Primary School
• Ripple Primary School
• Becontree Primary School
• University of the Arts London
• Greenshoes
• Studio 3 Arts team
• Barking & Dagenham Community Music Service
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iiQuestions used as main areas of enquiry at the conference
1. The What
o What do you like creating
o How does it make you feel?
o What’s the best/most important thing you ever created?
o Who do you create with?
o What creative thing would you love to try that you’ve never done
before?
2. The Where
o Where are you most creative?
o Where do people go locally to be creative, or see creative things
happening?
o How do you find out about what’s happening locally?
o Tell us something about your area that not many people know
o What’s special about your area?
o If you brought someone to the borough for a fun day out, where would
you take them?
o If you had to draw a postcard of the borough to attract tourists what
would you include?
3. The Who
o In your community, who is the most confident?
o Who needs help to be more confident?
o Who would you bring together to get to know each other more?
o Who do you know who does something creative in your area?
o Have you ever been a volunteer?
4. The Why
o Why do you think people do creative things?
o What are the barriers that stop people from taking part in creative
activities?
o How can we work together to remove these barriers?
5. The Future
o Have you considered a creative career?
o What would you like to do when you leave school?
o What creative stuff do you do outside of school?
o Do you have an idea for something that could happen locally?
o Is there something missing that you would like to be able to do, that
you don’t do now?
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iii Table 1 – the range of activities in which young people participate
Performing Arts
Dance Music Theatre Art and Design
Writing Heritage
Commercial Street Tap Contemporary Commercial Modern Gymnastics Ballet
Beats Remixes Creating songs and rhythms Raps Drumming Freestyle rap Singing Song writing Guitar Choir Piano Clarinet
Acting Monologues Role play Panto Create plays Drama
Drawing Making jewellery Collage Sketching Photography 3D models Animations Origami Sculpture Fashion design Cardboard models Buildings Cards Nature home Virtual games Slideshow
Poems Stories Plays
Museums Talking about religious festivals Community groups Festivals and activities at the library