Young people launch the 'Our Voice' campaign
Young people aged 13-24 from across the West Midlands came to Creative Alliance, a group of experienced arts professionals working to develop, support and train new talent, to find out more about an 8 week youth led multi-media advertising campaign. The 'Our Voice' project, supported by Mediabox, launched with an open day, when groups of young people from diverse backgrounds took part in a series of media workshops.
The open day began with taster sessions in studio photography, advertising, mood-boarding and computer illustration. The young people, many of whom had never met each other before, then led a discussion on the relevant issues to themselves and their peers that they would want to explore in an advertising campaign. The topics discussed ranged from positive living, healthy eating, and addressing the negative perceptions of young people.
Over 40 of the young people who attended the open day have committed to an 8 week training programme, where they will be equipped with skills such as street and studio photography, slogan writing, marketing, pitching and planning. The young people will present their final advertising campaigns to a panel of expert judges.
Their work will be showcased at an exhibition at the ‘The Gallery’, Custard factory, Birmingham and will also go on display across Birmingham City Centre and Wolverhampton in Clear Channel billboard advertising spaces.
Keane, (16) Our Voice participant:
'This has been the best project we’ve done since starting school. Here we have got to make our own choices and the project has been built round our ideas’
Alex Hampson, senior youth worker:
'Our Voice' is a really fantastic opportunity for young people. Every part of the project including its title has been created by the young people. Many young people have expressed their enjoyment so far in working with professional artists and youth workers to learn photography, graphic design, advertising and marketing skills in this first stage of the project. They have also been exploring what kind of important social messages they would like to see as the focus of their their billboard campaign. During the first three weeks of the project there has been a growing realisation that thousands of people are going to see the billboards and that their voices are really going to be heard. Many of the 8 groups have already expressed an interest in going in to a creative profession due to their involvement in the project. Young people are often misrepresented in the media and 'Our Voice' is a very creative way for the participants to show the West Midlands that young people have a very important and positive voice that needs to be listened to.
The private view of the exhibition will be held at The Gallery’, Custard factory, Birmingham on Wednesday 25th February 5.30-8pm and the exhibition continues from Thurs 26th-Sat 27th February 10-5pm . The billboard advertising launches on Saturday 7th March.
Notes to editors
If you require any quotes or further information then please contact Zara at Creative Alliance on 0121 224 7308 or zara@creativealliance.org.uk
Creative Alliance
Creative Alliance is a group of experienced arts professionals working collaboratively to develop, support and train new and emerging creative talent. Our aim is to offer creative learning opportunities, developed and delivered by practicing Creatives, allowing us to be positioned at the heart of, and informed by, education and industry. Working with national and international partners and networks Creative Alliance provides relevant practice led training, professional development and creative learning to a wide range of learners and creative professionals across different age ranges.
Visit 'Our Voice’ blog at www.thisisourvoice.wordpress.com
Mediabox
Mediabox is a Department for Children, Schools and Families fund to help young people to create media projects and have a voice and get their voices heard. It offers 13-19 year olds the opportunity to develop and produce creative media projects, using print, television, film, radio or online platforms. Mediabox is delivered by a consortium led by First Light Movies and Media Trust in partnership with Skillset and the UK Film Council. www.media-box.co.uk. For Mediabox enquiries contact Kerry Thorpe on 0207 217 2742 or kerryt@mediatrust.org.
Download a PDF version of the press release in the 'stuff for you' section of the website
More info: www.thisisourvoice.wordpress.com