Deadline: Wednesday 19th July 2017
Are you aged 16-25, and involved in a cultural activity (sports, music, art, drama, video gaming, youth group etc.)?
Tell other young people, researchers, professionals and policymakers about what this activity means to you!
What’s this about?
We are seeking enthusiastic young people ages 16-25 to shout-out about their experience of taking part in cultural activities. A ‘shout-out’ is a 3-minute talk or creative presentation about a cultural organisation, club, project or activity that means something to you. You could talk about your time in a sports club, a rock band, a choir, a youth club, a Young Farmers’ Club, a youth theatre… Or you could tell us about cultural activities that are less ‘organised’: for example, are you part of a video gaming circle?
Whatever group or activity you choose to talk about, we want to hear why it is important to you.
Where and When?
We’re holding a conference called ‘Spaces to Belong to’. It will take place at the Brian Friel Theatre, Queen’s University Belfast, 21 University Square, Belfast BT7 1NN.
The conference will be on Friday 15th September 2017, from 10:30am – 5:15pm
We’ll bring together young people and researchers, professionals and policymakers whose work affects young people, to explore young people’s perspectives on culture, identity and cultural participation on the island of Ireland today.
Why should I do this?
You will have your voice heard by people in power. The shout-outs will be followed by group discussions, so you’ll be able to talk with researchers, policymakers and professionals who make decisions about the opportunities available to young people ages 12 – 25.
The conference is a chance to help make positive change for young people across the island of Ireland. You’ll also get to meet lots of other enthusiastic people and make connections that may be useful for your future.
What kinds of things go into a shout-out?
It’s really up to you, but here are a few suggestions…
You could begin by saying: ‘My shout-out is about [name your organisation, project or activity] and this is why……’
Your shout-out could cover some of the following questions…but no need to answer them all in 3 minutes! You might want to pick 2 or 3 of these questions and focus on them:
- Why did you get involved in the group/ club /activity in the first place?
- What kind of things do you do there?
- Has doing this activity helped shape your sense of who you are? If so, how?
- Has doing this activity helped you in other parts of your life?
- Do you feel like you belong there? If so: what is it about this group/ activity that makes you feel like you belong?
- Do you think the group / activity is open and welcoming to all young people? If not, how could it change to make itself more welcoming?
- Why do you think it’s important to have this group / activity for young people?
I’m not keen on talking in front of people, but I’d still like to do a shout-out…
We welcome shout-outs in many different creative formats. You could present your shout-out as a poem, a rap, a piece of drama, or a video uploaded to vimeo or youtube exploring 2 or 3 of the questions above. As long as you are telling us about what taking part in a cultural activity or group means to you, we don’t mind how you tell us!
Why 3 minutes?
3 minutes is a maximum length and allows us to get a good number of people in for a shout-out.
Okay, how do I apply?
Fill in the form below and e-mail it by 5pm on Wednesday 19th July to Victoria Durrer at v.durrer@qub.ac.uk. We will let people know about the final shout-outs by the end of July. We want to have a mixture of different kinds of cultural activities (sports, drama, arts, digital etc.), so please don’t be disheartened if your shout-out idea isn’t picked. You are still warmly encouraged to attend the Conference and take part in discussions.
I’m interested, but I can’t attend on the 15th of September. Can I still take part?
Yes! You can submit a 3-minute video telling us about your cultural group or activity. If we get in touch with you to confirm, we’ll ask you to please upload your video to youtube or vimeo and send us the link. We’ll show as many of these as we can throughout the day at the conference!