A major event for 100 Birmingham students took place on 24th November 2010 at Millennium Point. It offered young people the chance to understand common global development issues such as those faced by city dwellers around the world. It was an exciting day involving eight schools and sixteen workshops facilitated by key organisations.
During the day, we were entertained by King Gurcharan Mall and the Dhol Blasters, challenged by Adrian Johnson, Birmingham’s Poet Laureate 2009-10, and listened to by Councillors Salma Yaqoob and Paulette Hamilton and UK Young People’s Parliament representative Prabjot Ragbotra.
Thank you to the schools involved in the event:
On the day, young people said:
"We were heard – about what needs to change in this city"
"I feel strongly that I can fight for what I believe in and not give up"
"It allowed me to understand other people’s views on the environment"
This event forms a key element of Tide’s ‘Cities Project ~ creative KS3 curriculum development’ which continues to work towards increasing understanding of global development issues.
For more information about the Cities Project, and how to get involved click here
A range of workshops were provided by partner organisation focussing on city issues such as crime, homelessness, refugees, investment, communication, making a difference, recycling and health.
Thank you very much to all the workshop providers who offered such thought-provoking sessions:
St Basils - Steve Rainbow
Safer Birmingham Partnership – Chris Dyer
Birmingham City Council – Jeremy Shields and Phil Palmer
Clerici Design – Anthony Clerici
Midlands Co-op – John Boyle
SMILE/ Refugee Council – Sarah Hislam
Park View Business and Enterprise School – Steve Packer and Year 9 students
Envision – Cameron Nimmo
Podnosh – Nick Booth
Creative~ States – Mark Riley
Young People’s Parliament/ UKYP – Dennis Edwards, Prabjot Ragbotra and Shauna Kelly-Alder
Birmingham Youth Service – Soryah Brown
Birmingham City Council Planning and Regeneration – Richard Cowell
Adrian Johnson – writer, poet, storyteller and Birmingham’s Poet Laureate 2009–10
Adrian talked about his own experience as a migrant worker coming to Birmingham; a place of opportunity. He suggested that cities are a ‘work in progress’; never finished, always developing. He set us thinking about bright ideas that are germinated in cities, how cities are interdependent with other places, and finally suggested that ‘we are [you and I] the city’. He shared his own poetry and the work of others that illustrate some of these ideas.
Youth involvement – how young people can make a difference, crime and gangs, health
These discussions and ideas from the workshops will contribute to the next phase of the Cities Project.
On the day, young people said:
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