IN DEFENCE OF YOUTH WORK FOURTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

TO BE HELD, FRIDAY, MARCH 8 AT THE BURLEY LODGE CENTRE, LEEDS

The assault on youth work, the youth service and public services is relentless. Cuts and closures continue. The shift from open to targeted work with young people appears inexorable. Compromised by the contract culture the voluntary youth sector sees its independence slipping away. Being a social entrepreneur trumps being a critical citizen. This and much more leaves us struggling on many fronts.

For example, as we write:

• Our supporters are in the forefront of the Save Our Services campaign on Tyneside.

• We are speaking at the inaugural conference of a Professional Open Youth Network in Europe

• In the light of the critical need to open up dialogue across the open/targeted divide our next round of ‘Book’ workshops is consciously seeking to address this dilemma.

• Through the Choose Youth alliance we are arguing for an open and pluralist conference of the ‘youth’ sector with no prescribed outcomes.

This is positive and draws for its inspiration on the fact that amidst the convulsion a significant layer of workers, managers and lecturers remain committed to emancipatory and democratic youth work despite the pressures and constraints.

At this point we are planning four sessions for our forthcoming conference:

• The significance of the renaissance of feminist youth work.

• Surviving in the training agencies and multi-agency services.

• Strewn with illusions the pursuit of Outcomes and Well-Being?

• Accommodating to and resisting the shifting landscape – where do we stand?

We are in the process of lining up an array of challenging speakers and facilitators. More information in the very near future.

We are chuffed to get Burley Lodge Centre as a venue for our gathering. It is only 5 minutes by train from the Leeds City centre and close too to Hinsley Hall, where the Youth & Policy History shindig is taking place over the weekend, 8^th to 10^th of March.

http://www.burleylodge.org.uk/index.htm

The day will run from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. with a lunch break at approximately 1.15 p.m. True to our tradition of self-sufficiency once again we are asking you to bring your own ‘butties’. Tea, coffee, juice and water will be provided.

The conference fee will be €10 for the waged with a request that where possible better paid supporters give an additional donation and €5 for students and the unwaged.

To book a place and/or obtain more information, contact Tony at tonymtaylor@gmail.com

Please circulate by any means the  IDYW March 2013 conference flyer