YouthPhoria UK© The Premier Role Model Edition November 2013 | Page 52

VOICES THAT YOUNG VOICES IN ARTS, MEDIA, RACE & POWER Shake! is a dynamic youth initiative using art as a powerful non-violent force for change and a celebration of youth voices. Each day Shake! creative workshops provide space to imagine what justice looks like, experiment with new ideas, learn new tools, work with incredible artists and inspire your imagination! Khadiza Shahid spoke to YouthPhoriaUK© about some of their recent projects. “Shake! instilled hope in me that it is possible for the potential of young people to evoke change to be recognised and duly utilised. Indeed, this could be achieved by harnessing youth’s skills and talents as well as engaging with them as social activists in a dialogue around topical issues of contemporary society. In this manner, Voices That Shake yet again provided a platform for young participants to explore their own views on power, perceptions and the media. Some of the sessions explored how forms of art have been used to campaign for social change. Sokari Douglas created a living memorial of Ken Saro-Wiwa in the form of a steel bus as part of a campaign on human rights and oil drilling in the Niger Delta. The bus has the statement “I accuse the oil companies of genocide of Ogoni people” and allows for drummers to perform on its roof. The memorial has been situated at the Southbank Centre, which is sponsored by Shell. Also, as a mobile art work, it has been taken on a tour across the UK, raising awareness. In other sessions, participants were able to draw on such inspiration to express their ideas and concerns about the injustices in today’s world through creating poetry, music and film which has been showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon, London, on the 29th October. Young poets voiced their articulate poetry and music addressing key issues such as war and racism. Youth participants who produced a short film in three days held their film premiere of ‘Reach’ which focused on the prevalence of economic inequality in London and the impact of gentrification upon local communities who find themselves excluded from reaping the benefits as well as accessing higher education. I think young people can be more responsible for creating their own circumstances by being confident in themselves to achieve their goals. Young people need to believe in their many talents and to explore and experiment with the ways in which they can use them for social activism. They need to believe in the value of challenging the status quo, whether or not efforts to do so are successful. Without this, there is little likelihood for change. To overcome obstacles and boundaries they may face, I believe the key is to persevere with determination. Often, this will lead to innovative solutions.” The next Voices that Shake! event is during half-term holiday, 17-21 February 2014 at The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. For more info, email [email protected] or visit their blog at http://voicesthatshake.blogspot.co.uk/ Check the latest short film, Reach, made by Shake! participants in August 2013. You can get a flavour of how it went from the pilot of the course in 2010 that was made by the young people who took part – http://vimeo.com/15666941#