Cambridge Junction, in partnership with HighRise Theatre and Romsey Mill charity, worked with young people at risk of exclusion or excluded from education and employment in a newly built area of Cambridge.
The challenge
Detached youth work unearthed a thirst for music provision in the area.
The solution
Detached work unearthed a thirst for music provision in the area, creating the project, Beats, Trials and Tribulations, which enabled young people to work with industry professionals to unlock their lyrical, production and filmmaking talents. It provided a safe space for them to express themselves, explore their creativity, and to learn new skills and grow in confidence. It also brought together a supportive community and led to ten incredible music videos/freestyles being created based on their experiences.
By learning new, practical, technical, social and creative skills they achieved things they didn’t feel were possible. These new skills and boosted confidence built on their interest in digital media and gave a focus to their creative output. It is hoped that with support these individuals can go on to further develop these skills. It was also intended that in the long run this project could help break potential cycles of deprivation and improve the life chances and also social mobility of the young people involved and their communities.
In total 20 young people aged 11-19 joined the project, with 12 seeing it through over a total of three months. Ten films were made, then celebrated at a film festival at a local cinema. Also, importantly friendships were forged and achievements celebrated and shared.
The impact
The differences we saw in these young people over the project was staggering and the participants have been stunned by what they have managed to achieve and overcome. The impact of the project is best articulated by those involved in it and those close to them.
Confidence and skills
“The freestyle video we did was really cool. I never expected to do anything like that on the stage at the Junction with all the lights and cameras and stuff, I would never have seen myself doing that”. – participant
“I’ve never used a camera like this before. It’s so fun, I want to do this for a career.” – participant
“To see the fun that they have listening to and creating this music itself is a positive impact. They’re integrating with people they wouldn’t normally meet or come across, and different groups of people come together to create something that they have a mutual love of.” – artist facilitator
“I honestly can’t thank the Junction and Romsey Mill enough at the moment. My son is a different lad thanks to your support with his music. Not going to post his journey here as it is not my place, but thank you x” – parent of participant on social media
Sense of community and social skills
“I felt like I was part of something, we were driving home and I said to my mum, ‘I felt like them, I felt part of something’. I haven’t really experienced something like that being in a group with people I know nothing about but still feeling so many connections with them. It was a really nice feeling.” – participant
“Projects like this teach you how to socialise, how to behave with other people, how to communicate well. Before this, my communication with other people was appalling, this [the interview], I would not have been able to do. It's projects like this, if you are in a room with other 10 other people you have no other choice to be around them, talk to people. Where school teaches you the facts and try to get you to succeed in tests, projects like this, I believe, teach you proper life skills, like how you get on with life.” – participant
“We need this for our community” – participant
How is the new approach being sustained?
This project was supported by a coalition of funders, including Cambridge City Council community grant funding. (It also received support from BBC Children in Need, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation D&J Lloyd Fund and Cambridgeshire Music.)
It is being explored whether with further funding the partnership between the delivery partners of Cambridge Junction, Romsey Mill and HighRise Theatre can be extended further. The learning from the project is being taken forward by all of the project partners and we hope to repeat this project locally as well as to take it to other nearby locations, such as Peterborough.
We are also working with the individuals to help them find opportunities to continue their personal development.
Lessons learned
Cambridge Junction is working to become a centre for excellence for creative work with young people with complex needs. Through this project we tested and developed our approach in a new context, of a newly built community. The lessons learned included:
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By working with young people in a way that ensured that they had autonomy, agency and the opportunity to actualise their aspirations were all key parts to making the personal growth and development resulting from this project possible.
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By working with artists who could engage and establish rapport and respect with the participants was key to building trust and a positive and safe environment where the young people could create authentic and personal expressions of their creativity.
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By finding a format where there was an established personal interest to build on and also nascent talent to draw upon enabled the learning of new, practical, interpersonal, technical and creative skills.
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The principle of partnership working and of co-creation with young people and partners artists was also important in drawing on the expertise and experiences of everyone in the project.
Contact
Beth Bailey
Head of Creative Learning
Cambridge Junction
[email protected]