Natalie Ox explains how a group of young people in York are tackling big issues by creating a series of radio dramas
Chances, risks, responsibilities, opportunities and consequences. These five words sum up Project Chance, an exciting arts and media campaign aiming to create a debate through a series of audio dramas based on the real experiences of young people.
I am one of 12 Bright Sparks who worked alongside Inspired Youth to create a series of audio dramas.
To gain the underpinning knowledge that was needed to make the storylines realistic, we worked with a range of different groups of young people who are being supported by charities in and around York.
The charities that we worked with support young people facing a range of different issues. It was our job as part of Bright Sparks to help them tell their stories using different forms of artwork as a vehicle to give them a voice.
These stories then informed a creative process, again led by young people, to create believable and realistic narratives. They’re designed to reflect the real risks young people are faced with in their everyday lives with the aim to start a healthy dialogue with young people as a result, around the issues they raise.
It’s important for Project Chance to tell these stories so that society have a better awareness of the issues facing young people. They are made with a view to addressing issues that have been brought to light through the creative process of writing them.
It’s also important for young people to hear these dramas so that they think about the chances that they are taking in their lives, and whether they are worth the opportunities and consequences that can come as a result of the choices they make.
Chance is about starting a conversation around young people and risk, but more importantly, putting them at the heart of the debate.
Project Chance launches on Thursday June 14. People can also view the exhibition on June 12 and 13 at York St John University. This is a chance for people to see the art work that has been produced by the groups of young people that we have worked with, and to hear the audio dramas the artwork has informed.
The launch will host a live debate about the issues the dramas raise and will be an opportunity to meet the young people involved in the project. The event will also feature a live performance of a track written for Chance by Liam “Kritikal” Powers, a rising musician from York, who based the lyrics of the song on the lives and experiences of real young people from York.
- You can see more about the project and how it has been created on the project blog
- If you can make it click here to register for the launch
- Check out the TV channel for the project here
- Or go to the Facebook page
- Twitter: @ProjectChance / #iychance