Dec

17

Generation 2012: Film Capture Creative Brief

NE-Generation

NE Generation, in partnership with NFM, seeks Film collaborators to deliver a major participatory capture project up to and beyond the 2012 Olympic Games.

NE Generation is the North East’s Legacy Trust UK programme, and will be delivered by the Regional Youth Work Unit (NE), with Arts Council England as the accountable body. Generation 2012, through Legacy Trust UK, forms part of the region’s plans for the Cultural Olympiad- the culture programme inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

NE Generation aims to bring about a shift in the way in which children and young people and the North East’s arts and cultural sector collaborate and work together; developing a more tuned in and children and young people focused cultural sector where young people in the North East experience, participate in and generate arts and cultural activity on their own terms. The sector will become more responsive to and reflective of young people and their cultural needs and interests, ultimately playing a greater part in their lives and increasing children and young people’s self-awareness, creative opportunities for self-expression and enabling them to develop their own ideas of personal and regional identity through engagement with the arts and culture.

Film Capture
The film capture project will track and document the changes in behaviour and development of skills of participants and programmers in working through the development of the projects and towards a celebratory event of the region’s creative response to London 2012, enabling young people to record and share their own journeys towards 2012, their responses to the programme and their views on arts and cultural institutions and activity.

The capture will be led by a film-maker/s, artist or cultural partner, together with a changing group of young people who will be tasked with developing the project to track the commissioned projects over the course of 2010 – 2012.

It is intended that a key output of the capture project will be to develop media literacy skills.

Running alongside the film capture will be the development of unique and innovative Digital Portal, created by Mere Mortals, through which the film capture can express itself in near real-time as well as retrospectively.

The project will enable young people to participate, contribute content and communicate through their own homes and computers; this will help reach rurally excluded communities and young people not currently being engaged by the public agencies.

The project will also engage in targeted outreach activity using a sense of fun and media engagement which is potentially more accessible to marginalised groups than some other cultural forms.

Background
NE Generation will deliver its vision through the commissioning and delivery of the following core strands of activity:

1. Young people & adults as collaborators
At the heart of our programme is the principle that young people and adults will collaborate throughout the programme, working in partnership with equal say from the devising of the programme, through decision making of commissioned projects to the commissioned projects themselves being a reflection of this collaborative working to produce high quality, sustainable projects which are exemplars of cultural product and new ways of working. NE Generation offers the opportunity for long term engagement in significant cultural projects across the North East for young people.

2. 10 innovation projects
At the core of the NE Generation programme is the development and delivery of 10 projects that pilot innovative and transformative new models of engaging children and young people with the cultural sector. The projects have been selected via a Panel made up of young people and steering group members. The criteria for projects took the widest possible definition of culture and children and young people involved on the programme will be drawn from young people with fewer opportunities. The first projects will begin in early 2010 and run through to September 2012.

3. Two showcase events – 2010 and 2012
There will two celebratory events in the North East showcasing the NE Generation innovation projects as a coherent creative programme of activity aligned with the region’s Cultural Olympiad and its existing programmes of cultural activity. The first showcase event will be in 2010, with the second showcase in 2012 which will take place during the Olympic Games in July/August 2012. The events will showcase the creative output of the NE Generation projects.

4. Academic Action Research & Evaluation
An evaluation project will be commissioned to track and document the changes in behaviour and development of skills and of participants and programmers in working towards a celebratory event of the region’s creative response to London 2012.

An important ambition of this evaluation is to offer an innovative approach to measuring the impacts of culture-led programmes. This goes beyond (although it includes) the usual quantitative indicators, focused on measuring participants and to take into account the lived experiences of the people involved. The programme also takes a longitudinal approach exploring change in outcomes, experiences, perceptions and understanding over time – from the decision making through the development, preparations towards the event years and beyond. The evaluation will measure impacts against the values, outcomes, outputs and performance indicators of NE Generation.

Application Process

NE Generation invites applications from a film-maker/s, cultural organisations and artists, individually or in partnerships, to submit a proposal of no more than 2 sides of A4, addressing the following:

1.    The creative content of your proposal;
2.    Your ideas around how you would plan, deliver and disseminate the project, including close partnership with the Digital Portal & Academic Evaluation Partners;
3.    How you would plan to include young people as central and equal partners to the project, including any legacies that might develop from the work.

On a third sheet, please include a proposed outline budget.

Please also submit Company Work Histories/CVs/Professional Credits.

We would encourage proposals to be as bold, imaginative and innovative as possible: NE Generation is a unique and exciting new programme which expects to break new ground in the way young people access and work with cultural organisations, and as such, we expect the Film Capture to reflect this energy.

Fee:  up £27,000 (inc. VAT), with additional support available for generic NE Generation Showcase Events. Timeframe is early 2010 to December 2012.

If you would like to talk through any aspect of NE Generation, please call Ben Ayrton, Programme Manager on 0191 440 4410 or email him at ben@rywu.org.uk.

Proposals should be sent by email or post, to:

caroline@rywu.org.uk

Caroline Garrity
Regional Youth Work Unit
Design Works
William Street
Felling
Gateshead
Tyne and Wear
NE10 0JP
Tel: 0191 440 4410
Fax: 0191 423 6201
www.rywu.org.uk

Closing Date: Friday 15th January 2010 at midday.

Shortlisted proposals will be invited to interview in late January.

Good luck.

Posted by | 0 comments
Dec

11

North East Young People Through to National Finals

Featured Articles / Participation / What we do / Youth Advisory Board (YAB)

A  North East project that puts young people’s views at the heart of the decision making process has won a prestigious award.

The North East Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was one of only four youth projects across the country to win a Young Partners Award at the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) annual award ceremony.

The Young Partners Awards celebrates young people’s involvement in decision making and demonstrates what can be achieved through young people and adults working together, sharing ideas and inspiring other organisations.

Project worker Neil Burke and seven of the 30 young YAB members who are helping shape the learning landscape for young people in the region attended the glitzy awards ceremony at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London earlier this week to pick up their award.

One of the group, David Moulder, from Stockton, said: “Attending the awards was a fantastic experience. To see so many groups committed to youth participation made us proud to be involved in any project, never mind one which would go on to win the award! It was such a surprise but one which made us immensely proud!”

The award is unique because young people organise the entire event, develop the criteria, shortlist and make the final decisions.

Neil said: “The honour of receiving such a prestigious award is amazing and a testament to the hard work of the Youth Advisory Board. To be recognised nationally for the work we have done is truly remarkable. The young people really deserve recognition and again it stresses the importance of youth participation and the need for young people’s voices to be heard! It shows how when given the opportunity, young people can lead their own projects and really develop them to be extremely successful!”

The YAB, which was established by the North East 14 to 19 Commission, gets involved in many projects affecting young people’s education in the North East.

They are currently involved in the ‘Raising and Realising the Aspirations of Young People in the North East’ project. This has so far involved a conference for adults earlier in the year and a series of seminars, one which featured Professor Sugata Mitra, the inspiration behind the film Slumdog Millionaire.

The group was asked to provide a young person’s perspective on the issue of aspirations and young people in the region and have developed a questionnaire which is currently out with young people to gain their views. The responses will be used to develop and deliver a conference for young people in the summer of 2010.

The YAB also set up the 14 -19 Advocates project in response to feedback from young people that one of the biggest issues facing them is getting the appropriate information, advice and guidance about their education and training which is relevant to them.

The project, which  empowers young people to take a lead on finding out about the options available to them, is being piloted in 3 schools, King Edward VI, Morpeth, St Benet Biscop, Bedlington, and Kings Manor, Middlesbrough.

Around 30 young people in Years 9 and 10 have recently finished a six week training course and are now researching the options available to young people. They will present their findings to their peers early next year through workshops, advice sessions and assemblies come the New Year, helping young people make an informed choice about their options.

There is also a virtual portal to enable young people to gain information relevant to them and a parents support toolkit to enable young people to work with their parents to understand the current 14 to 19 educational reforms and inform young people’s choice of career path.

The YAB is committed to ensuring that opportunities for young people are available to all, regardless of their background or circumstances, and is engaging with young people identified as disadvantaged or hard to reach.

The awards saw a total of twelve groups of young people showcasing the fantastic work they’ve achieved to an audience of nearly 150 attendees from across England. They were divided into four categories; the Youth Advisory Board were the North winners.

At the event, there were street dance performances from ITVs Britain’s Got Talent, FLAVA, who have created a ‘b inspired’ programme aiming to engage young people and inspire them to enjoy interests, build confidence and kindle self-identity.

Neil said the YAB is continuing to grow in stature and confidence and the next major task is acquiring funding beyond March 2011. “The success of the YAB has been noted nationally and there is a real need for the YAB to continue,” he added. “It is essential to have young people involved in decisions that affect them, in order to establish what issues influence their lives most!”

Chris Roberts, Regional Director of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East, which part funds and supports the Youth Advisory Board, said: “I am delighted that the North East Youth Advisory Board has been rewarded for all its hard work in acting as a voice for the region’s young people.

“It is so important that decision makers are aware of the views of young people so that they can take these into account when developing policies and initiatives to meet the needs of young people. Our young people are our future and their education is crucial to the success of the region and the country.”

London Award 5.12.9 (19)editMore Pictures

Posted by | 0 comments
Dec

10

Bulletin 4 December 2009

Regional Bulletins
Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, Durham University, supported by Beacon North East

These three events are free and numbers are limited. So if you wish to attend, we advise you to book soon, using the online booking form on our website. There are further details of each event on the website.
1. Young people as co-researchers, Saturday 23 January, 2010, morning event, Collingwood College, Durham.  This event will draw on the experiences of young people who are leading their own research and the experiences of academics and practitioners who have undertaken research with young people, in order to explore how young people make the move from participating in adult-led research to proposing, owning and controlling research, and achieving change to their own agendas.  Target audience: young people, youth workers/practitioners and academics. Co-organisers: Investing in Children and Gateshead Borough Youth Organisations Council.

2. Participatory Action Research Training Workshop, Wednesday 20th January, 2010, one day event, Ustinov Room, Van Mildert College, Durham University, facilitated by Rachel Pain.  This workshop aims to provide an introduction to participatory research approaches and some of the techniques associated with them.  It is aimed at new and established researchers in universities, the voluntary and public sectors, who are interested in expanding their repertoire of research skills and finding new ways to access and engage sections of community, particularly those who are often ignored.

3.    Community organizing, Friday 26 February, 2010, Thornaby Methodist Church, Stockton. This one day event will address how to organise for power: defining and researching key issues; seeking and interpreting evidence; engaging support locally, nationally and globally; negotiating with and challenging power-holders. Facilitated by Mark Waters, Church Action on Poverty, Manchester and Greg Brown, Thrive Project, Stockton.

For further information contact: Sarah Banks

Posted by | 0 comments
Dec

10

Bulletin 27 November 2009

Regional Bulletins
Free Radio Skills Session

Community Radio station NE1FM are looking for people to take part in their FREE radio skills workshops.  There’s no entry requirement – you can be any age, a complete beginner or semi-pro, all you need is enthusiasm!

If you’re interested or want more information contact Phoenix on phoenix.dark-knight@ne1fm.com or just turn up to the session of your choice.  Information about dates and times.

They also want to hear from anyone living in the East End of Newcastle who has a story to tell.

Improving practice to deliver better outcomes for children and families in fuel poverty in the North East of England

The half-day Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session will examine:
-    The causes of fuel poverty and links with poor housing, ill health and specific problems experienced by children, young people and families
-    Energy efficiency in the home
-    Information on how the Common Assessment Framework has implications on affordable warmth and how it can be a mechanism for referring fuel-poor families for assistance
-    Methods of identifying families at increased risk from problems such as physical, mental and emotional illness, and educational and employment difficulties because of living in a cold damp home
-    Household issues such as finances, heating and provision of food and how they link to potential problems with energy efficiency and fuel bills/ fuel debt
-    Some of the fuel poverty related policies that impact upon children and young people
-    How to refer vulnerable householders in your area for help and the types of grants and services available.
More information

Posted by | 0 comments
Dec

10

20th Anniversary Conference

Previous Events / What we do / Youth Work

On the 3rd Dec 2009, the RYWU held its 20th anniversary conference entitled ‘The Future for Youth Work’.  The conference was attended by 70 people from across the region and feedback on the day has been very positive.  The day was chaired by Tom Adams, director at the RYWU and started with two keynote presentations from Tom Wylie and Tony Gallagher. Tom Wylie is the ex-chief executive of the National Youth Agency and gave an excellent presentation on his thoughts about the current state of youth work, challenges facing the profession and implications for future direction. Tony Gallagher is the National Adviser on Youth Matters at Ofsted. Tony’s presentation focussed on the outcomes of recent evaluation and survey work which Ofsted have been carrying out into youth services and integrated services nationally. Tony’s presentation highlighted the main positive contributions which youth work is making to integrated services, but also the highlighted the challenges ahead.

At the start of the afternoon session Leon delivered a presentation on national perspectives and personal reflections which outlined some of the key issues from national partners and presented some of Leon’s personal views on current challenges and issues for the future.

As well as presentations, the event also provided a series of workshops for attendees. The four workshops were:

  • Developing a World Class Youth Workforce in the North East – Ivan Wintringham
  • Commissioning Youth Work – Chris Ford
  • Challenges for Youth Work ‘A Managers Perspective’ – Peter Davies
  • Affirming our Value Base in Youth Work: Opportunities and Ethical Challenges – Sarah Banks

The workshops were well attended and generated high level of discussion and debate. Facilitators were able to share information and also highlight issues which were later shared with the rest of the conference attendees.

In both the morning and afternoon sessions discussion areas were built into the programme. The morning session was entitled ‘Where Are We Now?’ and discussed current challenges and issues in youth work. The afternoon discussion session was entitled ‘Where Do We Go From Here’ and highlighted some of the future challenges and issues for youth work and youth work professionals. Issues from the two discussion session formed part of the discussion wall, and will be included in the final conference report.

Posted by | 0 comments