IN DEFENCE OF YOUTH WORK

ENGAGING CRITICALLY SEMINAR

CREATIVE RESISTANCE : WHY? WHERE? HOW?

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 in BIRMINGHAM from 11.00 to 4.00

Venue to be confirmed

On Thursday, November 6 a significant partnership of leading youth organisations, including the NYA, NCVYS, UK Youth, BYC, NUS and NCS, is holding a second Creative Collisions [CC] event in the corporate heart of London, claiming to be uniting the youth sector. The Cabinet Office will be using the conference as the launch pad for its Centre for Youth Impact.

Whilst we remain deeply critical of this partnership’s collusion with the State’s imposed and prescribed outcomes-based agenda we are sensitive to the enormous pressures being placed on agencies, on local authorities, on projects,on managers and on workers to toe the line if they are to secure funding, if they are to survive. In this context we will be attending the CC event to listen, refresh and clarify what we think is going on within youth work and across the youth sector.

Thus on Friday, November 7 we will be holding a complementary happening, where we will report back from London and bring up-to-date our best sense of how we continue to defend a young person-centred, process-led youth work.

The majority of the day will be spent in small groups, where we will encourage participants to explore the constraints and contradictions of their own work settings. Recent feedback indicates that folk cherish the rare opportunity in today’s climate of discussing openly and honestly the ups and downs of their relations with young people. Is creative practice still possible? What might the spaces be for such a practice? What forms might it take? How can we support one another in such a challenging, but risky enterprise?

As part of the proceedings we will share the latest news about our second book on Story-Telling as a critical tool of resistance.

As ever we will conclude by focusing on the tasks that our Campaign should identify and pursue.

Refreshments: Teas and coffees will be provided, but as usual please bring your own butties.

Cost: As for all IDYW events this will be kept low – Students/volunteers/unwaged £2; Waged £7.

To register, email Rachel@yasy.co.uk