Culture and 2012
Four Greens, a strategic network supporting the development of the arts and creative industries in North London, organised a conference on 20 June 2008 at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham. It took place as part of a four-day Lee Valley Festival 2008.
Arts and sport, cultural and recreational activity, can contribute to neighbourhood renewal and make a real difference to health, crime, employment and education in deprived communities. Report to the Social Exclusion Unit, PAT 10, July 1999
The conference debated and explored how arts and sport are used to engage disadvantaged young people, addressing themes like:
Social responsibility (for example, fear, safety, knife/gun crime)
Citizenship, healthy living (gang culture, STDs)
Skills and training (self-confidence, employability)
Worklessness (benefits trap)
Equalities (social exclusion)
It raised important questions for community and voluntary sector organisations, arts, youth, education, regeneration agencies and statutory bodies: What is the Cultural Olympiad really offering marginalised young people? Where do the beneficiaries go at the end of their support? How are they involved in the design of the projects? Can we measure their impact? Where’s the sustainable long-term funding?
All of these questions are pertinent for any organisation trying to change the lives and aspirations of young people in the UK today, and especially for the Flavasum Trust, which is trying to promote awareness of the consequences of carrying knives and other weapons.
The conference programme and documentation can be downloaded below.
