DECEMBER 2007 ISSUE 4
A Hackney youth publication
Make your own news! Contrast is a FREE magazine written by and for young people in Hackney. If you’re aged 13 to 19 and you’re interested in writing, editing, design or illustration, come and join our editorial team. If you’re a young person in Hackney with something to say, we want to hear from you.
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Sky Partnership Day: Tuesday Time: 4.30pm – 6.30pm Venue: Unit 2, 222 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AX
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Joining the Contrast team gives you the opportunity to see your name in print and get some accredited media training. We have a weekly editorial team meeting at Sky Partnership and regular workshops at other venues in Hackney.
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If you would like us to run a workshop session in your School/Youth Club/Organisation please get in touch. For more information and directions to venues call Vicky on 020 7359 2053, email contrast@socialspider.com or www.myspace.com/contrastmag
Credit where credit’s due Contrast is published by Social Spider. Social Spider is a Community Interest Company registered in England no. 4846529 The views expressed in Contrast do not necessarily reflect those of Social Spider or Hackney Council © 2007 Social Spider Community Interest Company ISSN 1754-0623 Contrast is printed on paper that comes from sustainable sources and is monitored by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forest Advertising: If your organisation is interested in advertising in Contrast, call Stephen on 020 7354 9129 or email: stephen@socialspider.com download our media pack from www.socialspider.com/contrastmediapack for information on rates and specifications. Printers: Ten Alps Publishing, 9 Savoy Street, London WC2E 7HR Tel: 020 8520 5588 Contrast Editorial team: Cheryl O’Garro, Selin Kavlak, Fatima Ahmed, Bana Mhaldien, Rosheena Harding, Steve Liburd, Karess Laidley, Merve Yilmaz, Lara Akinnawo, Bisi Fashesin, Zaneta Denny, Jasmine O’Garro, Jamie O’Garro, Rico Montaque & Skinny Gaviar Contrast Staff team: David Floyd, Jo Worsley, Mark Brown, Mustafa Kurtuldu, Stephen Gardiner, Vicky Hughes The Contrast team would like to thank: Hackney Youth Service, SoulBruva, Gurkan Kekilli, Niki D, Esra Turk, Sky Partnership, CityZEN, Hackney Libraries, HCVS, CityZEN, Hackney Museum. Contrast is funded by the Hackney Youth Opportunity Fund, which is managed by young people in Hackney Youth Service.
Contrast is supported by: Sky Partnership, Hackney Libraries, Hackney Youth Parliament and Exposure Organisation Limited.
SocialSpider
Issue Four - Editorial Hey what's good? We’re back with Contrast’s fourth Issue, complete with a new look and an exclusive Agony Aunts’ page, where we help solve the problems you Hackney youth face today.
the problems in the world today and we’ve been to the One Love Hackney festival that’s just gone. Somehow we’ve put it all into one issue of Contrast! Hold tight for now and we’ll see you again next year with our 5th issue!
As always, we have interviews with the up-and-coming names from the music industry, articles on what us H-towners think about
Happy Christmas and seasons greetings! Selin & Fatima – For the Contrast editorial team
Inspector gadget Fancy being a detective? Youth Inspectors are needed to investigate youth clubs and projects in Hackney and find out if they’re any good – so if you fancy getting trained in this and doing something different in your free time contact Louisa Riste on 020 8356 3786 or email Louisa.riste@hackney.gov.uk.
Ignition Cultural and Creative Programme Hackney Empire is offering an ongoing series of taster sessions giving you the chance to try your hand at being a technician, learn about drama and how the theatre works or learn cutting edge music production and web skills. Get in contact with Dean on 07904 640000 or Josh on 07904 630000 for more information.
New club for youth
Youth Charter Key Messages
Marcon Court Youth Club on Amhurst Road, E8, opened its doors to 13-19 year olds in October. The club provides a variety of creative youth activities. Young people can also learn new skills by taking accredited courses. It is open on from 6.30 – 9.30pm. Call 020 88207094 for more details
Kurdish Heritage Project If you want to see what life was like for Kurdish people in the past, visit the Kurdish Heritage Project which has many interesting things on display from trinkets to food. These items are presented along with the stories attached to them. There will be a celebration day for the project on 10 January 2008 at Hackney Museum. For more details contact Esra Turk on 020 8356 3500 or Esra.Turk@hackney.gov.uk.
Digital Pioneers - be inspired Sky Partnership are running a 5 week media course on imac, social networking, creative writing and newsletter writing. If you are 19 to 25 and are interested in getting some great media skills, as well as a £50 voucher for completing the course, contact Ray on ray@skypartnership.org.uk or 020 7729 6970
Healthy and Wise Sky Partnership are running a free 6 week programme for young parents living in Hackney offering the opportunity to learn healthy recipes, cook together, eat together, learn to budget and meet other parents. Parents will receive a £30 voucher on completion of the course. Please contact Natalie on 020 7729 6970 or Natalie@skypartnership.org.uk to book your place.
1. We have the right to be involved and have a say over services that we use such as youth clubs, schools and colleges, parks, leisure centres and open spaces. 2. When we get involved in projects and services we need to be told from the beginning what is expected of us and what we will get out of our involvement.
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Illustration: Skinny Gaviar
Yo my brothers and sisters… Selin Kavlak says Islam isn’t what the media says it is Be honest, when people say Islam, what's the first thing that springs to your mind? 9/11? 7/7? I believe that Islam is a misjudged religion by millions of people around the world, not only by non-Muslims but also by Muslims themselves. Many people’s knowledge of Islam is based on what the media shows them. There are also people who twist teachings from the holy book the Qur’an to spread their form of hate. The end result is a lot of confused people and a lot of questions and myths about what Islam really is. When the 7/7 bombings took place in London, Hackney felt its share of the repercussions. People were frightened. Before this no one really feared Islam, no ‘islamophobia’ existed, so is the media to blame? Mostly it is. The media always seems to connect Islam with ugly images of terror. Different Muslims practice Islam in different ways. People who don't know about Islam believe common stereotypes, for example, that Muslim women are perceived as being inferior to men. People imagine that they all sit at home, dependent on their husbands, looking after the kids. As in any
I am a Muslim from a Turkish culture myself. Most people don't think I'm Muslim or Turkish and are surprised when they find out I am. Why is this? Maybe it's my appearance, the fact that I chose not to wear a Hijab (headscarf) and that I listen to the music that I want to. However this doesn’t make me nonreligious. Like other Muslims I fast during Ramadan and I try practising prayers in my free time. In my experience Muslim women have the right to be independent and aren’t valued differently to
to Allah and fast for their belief. To do this you need faith as well as self-respect and discipline, because it’s quite hard being a Muslim in Hackney. Imagine this scene: a young person has been fasting all day and is walking past one of Hackney’s finest chip shops, the smell wafts past their nose and they think ‘Damn, that smells good!’ but they stay strong and resist going in. This is not because they’re stupid, but because they’re fasting. It can be very difficult to stay strong. At the end of the day you shouldn’t base your beliefs and opinions about a religion on the views of those who shout the loudest. Study Islam rather than
“At the end of the day, you shouldn't just base your beliefs and opinions about a religion on the views of those who shout the loudest.” men. Women in Islam are and should be honoured and respected; the myth of Islam being oppressive to women is untrue. It is not religion but culture that gives women a certain gender role, it’s a mistake to mix up the two. Now we’ve just finished Ramadan which is the holy month where Muslims get closer
misinterpreting some Muslims’ actions and thinking that it’s Islam. It’s not. A way to find out about Islam is to check out the www.ummahfilms.com website which explains everything in a much more true and humorous sort of way. Islam by the way, means peace. Peace my brothers and sisters.
3. Young people in Hackney come from a range of communities. Organisations need to respect our different needs and cultures when planning projects, because not all of us want to get involved in the same way. 4. We have our own views and opinions on things that affect us and we want organisations to offer us training to be able to find out what issues are important to other young people in Hackney.
Youth Charter Key Messages
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culture, some Muslim women chose to be housewives but others don't.
Teenage Kickz Contrast’s Steve Liburd reports on the thrills and spills at Hackney’s top youth football tournament
During October and November, Sky Partnership held their now annual football tournament, Teenage Kickz, at the Queensbridge Leisure Centre in Hoxton. The tournament gives young people in
Hackney the chance to come together and display their talents. During the tournament I caught up with some of the participants to find out their views.
Homerton Rangers
Homerton Rangers Contrast: How did you put your team together? The coach gave out leaflets for training at Hackney Marshes and started entering us in different tournaments. Contrast: What do you think of the Teenage Kickz Tournament? I think it's a good tournament. Contrast: How do you think your team are going to do? I have a feeling that we will win this tournament. We have started off well and can go all the way. Contrast: Who is your football idol? Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haggerston YIP up and coming Coach, Steve Dahl Contrast: How did you put your team together? I've been coaching this team for two years. We won the tournament last year and I mixed up some players from our team and brought them down.
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Contrast: What do you think of the Teenage Kickz Tournament? Great. It is very well organised. The stewards are good and so are all the staff. I hope to see it next year. It’s good for young people. Contrast: How do you think your team are going to do? We have a good team so we might hopefully win it. Contrast: Who is your football idol? My football idol is Dwight Bond (member of the SKY team). He is inspirational. lol!
Youth Charter Key Messages
The tournament ran very smoothly and all of the matches were very competitive. There was a lot of fancy footwork on display from all of the age groups. Another big bonus was the girls’ section, which saw some very strong teams come together and create a superb spectacle all the way to a very entertaining conclusion. The last week of the tournament brought about the finals in each age and gender category, with every match as hard fought and intense as the last. The Rainbow Girls won the tournament for both of the girls’categories, with Stamford Hill
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winning the 12 to 14 boys cup final, and NST winning the prestigious 15 to 18 boys Cup. Evergreen won the 12 to 14 boys plate and Fermin won the boys 15 to 18 plate. The whole event was a great success. I am sure everyone that took part enjoyed it and I’m eagerly anticipating next year’s event! If you would like some info on SKY’s year-round holiday programme and next year’s Teenage Kicks call Marlon on 020 7729 6970.
5. We are capable of making our own decisions but we need adults to give us support and information to do so. 6. We want to work with adults in deciding the most meaningful way for us to be involved. Contrast 05
A day of Peace Bisi Fashesin goes to Hackney’s One Love Festival
Let me take you on a journey, a journey that was very entertaining for me: my journey to the One Love Hackney Festival. On Sunday the 9th of September between 12 and 6pm I attended Choice FM’s festival, which aimed to promote peace in Hackney. At first I have to admit I was slightly skeptical about the event because I had never seen a combination of a festive event and a peace affair going down well together. I was very wrong to be sceptical. I was amazed at how peaceful yet entertaining the event was. Hackney’s Clissold Park provided a great location, as we were
The festival was preceded by a peace march which began in Gillett Square, continued into Dalston and then finished in Stoke Newington. This day was fairly similar to your usual festival with the regular traditional colours and dazzling costumes but the peace angle gave it an edge. The festive celebration included acts from all over the Borough of Hackney, as well as big names, such as; Bobby Cray, Tayo Cruz and Tinnie Tempa. I arrived nice and early, so was able to watch it take off. The event began with an Ethiopian Drumming group, who performed a traditional song that was
“Going to this event was a real eye opener; I wasn’t aware of how much talented youth there is in Hackney.”
Youth Charter Key Messages
surrounded by masses of greenery and various food and candy stalls.
great for setting the right tone. The group showcased their skills to a cluster of thirsty youths. As the show progressed,
the crowd expanded into a mass of pumped fans and supporters, not only for the big names but also for Hackney’s finest acts. Going to this event was a real eye opener; I wasn’t aware of how much talented youth there is in Hackney. It allowed me to see Hackney for what it really is; an arena of talented performers. Acts who took to the stage, such as Jai Amore emphasized the message that Hackney is becoming increasingly associated with knife and gun crime and this has to stop. Although the focus of the event was peace, I feel that the music angle contributed in getting my attention, as well as the views of role models who performed. If I could go back to the beginning and revisit the day of the festival, I wouldn’t be so dubious to begin with, I would have more faith in peace festivals, and not jump to the assumption that something so positive must be lame.
7. We need good standards of training and support to become confident active participants. This will help us to understand what we need to do and make us more committed. 8. We need organisations to help us find out about other projects and services that we can get involved with afterwards. This will help us to feel that our skills are valued and used in the community.
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Contrast talks to Hackney’s up-and-coming musicians and fashion designers.
Contrast: OK Turkizzle, what is it exactly that you do? Turkizzle: Well, um…, I design any kind of garment, t-shirts, jeans, tracksuits anything that I can put designs on.
Young people have always been into doing things for themselves and young people today are no different. Most are more motivated then ever before and like doing things for themselves rather than being dependent on anyone. This interview is with one of the up and coming names, T-Designs. Big up the founder of this little business because not only is she making us youths look good but girls, she is also making us look good (no offence to the boys). Give it up for Turkizzle.
Contrast: What was it that got you interested in this line of work? Turkizzle: Well I had a friend who actually stencilled on clothes, but I thought that was limited so I decided to do a creative graffiti sort of thing. Contrast: How many customers have you had already? Turkizzle: Well, I've had quite a lot, probably more than 15 customers and I've worked on about 30 designs. Contrast: So how exactly do you promote yourself? Turkizzle: My designs have a little signature, which helps get my name out
Contrast met another up-and-coming Hackney singer, who dropped by to talk to us about himself, the foreign language music industry and music in Hackney.
Contrast: Are there any projects or albums that you are working on? G: Yeah, I’m going to release an album by the middle of next year.
Contrast: So what's your name, where are you from and what is it that you exactly do? G: My name is Gurkan or “G”. I’m from Hackney and I do music as a hobby. I started a year ago.
Contrast: What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do? G: They should do their own music rather than use someone else’s tunes.
Contrast: So what’s your music genre and how long have you been singing? G: Hip-hop, RnB, it’s a mixture of everything. It’s got the Eastern instruments with the RnB beats and it’s got a bit of rap in it as well. Contrast: You prefer to sing in Turkish, too. Why? G: Because I don’t listen to a lot of English music and my English is not that wide. I don’t think I'm good enough.
Example of Turkizzle’s work
Contrast: So, for those who don't already know you, what's your name and age? Turkizzle: My name is Turkizzle and I am 16 years old
there, and that way I get more people coming to me for design garms. Contrast: How much do you charge for your designs? Turkizzle: Starting from £5 up to £20 depending on the size. Well personally, I think Turkizzle is on her way to success and will be something big in the near future, so everyone look out for the name Turkizzle/ T-designs. If anybody is interested in T-designs go hit Turkizzle myspace website @ www.myspace.com/turkizzle or her email address: turkizzle@hotmail.com Interview by Fatima
Contrast: How has growing up in Hackney affected your music? G: I’ve started using more slang. It affects me in every way. Hackney’s cool and I like being here. Although the problem is that a lot of people sing RnB because it’s fashionable and not because they like it. If you want to listen to Gurkan’s music and find out more about him see his myspace page - myspace.com/gkekilli Interview by Selin
08 Contrast
Youth Charter Key Messages
9. We are capable of taking responsibility for ourselves and projects. Organisations should respect this and help us decide the level of our involvement.
Jasimine O’Garro is a budding fashion designer, Contrast caught up with her to find out what her inspirations are and what she’s up to at the moment Contrast: How did you first get into designing and fashion? Jasmine: When my dad bought me a sewing machine. Actually before that, I just always liked it. It’s fun! Contrast: What are your other hobbies? Jasmine: Listening to music (RnB of course!), chatting to my friends, going on Stardoll and cooking. Contrast: What is most enjoyable about designing and fashion? Jasmine: I just like making the item. It's fun and interesting and instead of sitting around all day, I can make something.
Contrast: How do you come up with your ideas? Jasmine: I just think of what I have in my wardrobe and see what colours work and make something. Contrast: What type of clothes do you generally like to design or wish you’d designed? Jasmine: I like designing dresses and making bags the best. Contrast: What clothes do you hate? Jasmine: I don’t HATE any clothes; I just dislike some, such as crocs. Contrast: What are you currently making? Jasmine: A bag and a dress. Interview by Cheryl
Contrast met Hackney artist SoulBruva well on his way to success, who has just released debut mixtape ‘4Real 4Real’ which can now be purchased online from www.uptownrecords.com. Contrast: For those who don't know, what's your name, age and where you from? SoulBruva: My name is SoulBruva. I’m from Hackney, East London and I've just turned 26. Contrast: Okay, what is it exactly that you do? SoulBruva: I’m a music artist and promoter, actor and presenter from the grime. Contrast: So, what type of music do you do? SoulBruva: I would define it is as HipHop/RnB. Contrast: Ok then, how long have you been in the music industry? SoulBruva: Seriously since 2004 but I've always had a love for music.
Youth Charter Key Messages
Contrast: So, where do you see yourself in five years’ time? SoulBruva: Established UK artist, getting
into acting, serious roles, having my own business within music entertainment. Contrast: Is there any projects you’re working on at the moment? SoulBruva: Yeah, I've been busy with my first mixtape. Contrast; So is there anyone that you would like to collaborate with? SoulBruva: UK artists. I’m open to work with anyone like Aggro, DJ Ironik and people on the UK scene. Contrast: So what advice would you give to people who want to get into the grime scene? SoulBruva:If you are passionate about it, take it seriously and be really focused. It requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice, especially when you want to go out with your bredrins but just stick at it. For more info on SoulBruva and his new single and video (released in the New Year and featured on the Teenage Kicks film soundtrack) see www.myspace.com/soulbruva, or www.myspace.com/soulbruva_streetteam & www.myspace.com/soulbruva_fanpage Interview by Selin
10. Organisations should encourage us to take part in planning projects and services. They should make sure our ideas are taken seriously when it comes to planning budgets and activities. If we can not be involved with some things make sure you explain why.
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Burning issue Bana Mhaldien and Karess Laidley on plans to cut teenage smoking As the age of buying tobacco legally changed from sixteen to eighteen on the 1st of October this year, under eighteen year olds now struggle to get cigarettes. This new law is a discomfort to many teenagers as there are a large number of smokers under the age of eighteen. Until now, many teenagers found it easy to get hold of tobacco from shops. Samantha Redding, 15, told Contrast: “I started smoking at the age of 13 and I got my cigarettes form older pupils at my
school but now the age of buying tobacco has been raised it is more difficult to get hold of which is really annoying!” Smokers under eighteen are not the only group of people that are struggling with the change in law, many shop workers find it difficult to identify people eighteen and over. Although ID is legally required, many customers do not have it, which causes a decrease in sales for shops. This likely decrease in tobacco sales is a disadvantage to teenage smokers but a great advantage to the health of the UK as a whole as figures show that most addicted
adult smokers began smoking as teenagers. This law change has come after scientific studies have shown that someone who starts smoking at the age of 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer due to smoking as someone who starts smoking in their mid-20s. Hopefully the new rules will prevent teenagers from starting smoking the deadly substance, so that they can avoid the serious health problems associated with smoking.
Gallery
Artwork by: Bana
Artwork by: Karess
Send poetry or artwork to Contrast, Social Spider, Unit 3N Leroy House, 436 Essex Road, London, N1 3QP
Contrast’s Creative Competition To win one of two designer T-shirts of your choice designed by Tonic. Send us a picture, poem or article with the title ‘life in Hackney.’ Either post your entry to: Vicky Hughes, Contrast magazine, Social Spider CIC, Unit 3N, Leroy House, 436 Essex Road, London, N1 3QP Or email it to vicky@socialspider.com
About Tonic: Tonic is an independent ethical clothing label founded in 2004 by two graphic designers. Tonic is for people who want high quality clothing with sound ethical sourcing and great designs. They only work with 100% ethically sourced fabrics. For more information you can visit their website: www.tonicshirts.com
Youth Charter Key Messages
The closing date is January 11th 2008.
11. Helping out with the planning process will help us feel more confident and committed about our involvement and make it feel more real. 12. Adults need to spend time developing good relationships with us. We need to feel that we can trust the adults we work with.
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What’s your problem? Contrast’s new team of Agony Aunts: Fatima and Selin and qualified psychotherapist and counsellor Niki D give us advice from their different perspectives on two of our readers’ problems.
I want to run away from home because my parents are so over-protective they watch every step I take. What do I do? Desperate, 16, Hackney It sounds like you’re going through a rough time. If talking to your parents doesn’t work you could get one of your older relatives to speak on your behalf. Most likely coming from another adult your parents will understand more and not think that you’re controlling the way they parent. I don’t think running away from the problem solves it. It just builds up and can end up worse than before. Fatima
Wanting to run away shows how stuck you must feel in your family situation but ultimately it will only bring more problems. You could try asking your parents to discuss the situation with you and by staying calm about the things you want to change; it may help them to take you more seriously. Keep your requests clear and simple and try not to drag up past issues. If your parents still won’t listen, ask for help from someone else, another family member, a friend’s parent, an understanding teacher or a religious leader.
Why don’t you try writing a letter to them, letting them know how you feel, and what sort of position they put you in, this may help. Selin
Niki D A family member recently described my weight as being called 'out of control', this really upset me, so afterwards I went on a strict diet and lost over a stone in weight in a month. I've put some of the weight back on so now I feel a little depressed. Should I go back on the diet? Confused 16, Hackney
What is the perfect body image? Who's to say that you don't already have it? Personally I don't see what the big deal is, if you are happy with your body image then no one should comment on it as long as you are a healthy weight. A very wise man (my dad) once told me "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". But if you still want to go back on a diet, I would advise you not to go on one of your extreme diets, but a healthy one instead. Fatima
In the end it is best for you to find a way of being comfortable in your own skin, without going into battle with your body, as this will only make you more unhappy. Why don’t you try to accept your shape and focus on what you like about your body? You can be healthy and active by cycling to school, joining a dance class with a mate etc. Ask your friends and close family to support and encourage you and identify what makes you feel unhappy with your body so you can avoid or deal with these causes more positively.
Putting yourself on a strict diet doesn’t work in the long run and can often harm your body. If you’re happy with yourself there’s no need to doubt your body when others comment on your appearance. Try to love your body but if you want still want to slim, eat a healthy diet consisting of all the nutrients - not too much of each - that will still allow you to lose weight. Selin
Niki D If you have a problem you would like the Agony Aunts to tackle please email it to advice@socialspider.com Youth Charter Key Messages
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13. Most young people get actively involved because they want to make Hackney a better place. For young people who don’t usually get involved in projects a selection of other incentives should be offered, (not everybody like MC’ing or book vouchers)
Charter for action and Young People’s Services, Councillor Rita Krishna (pictured left).
analysed the findings and decided what should go into the Charter.
This edition of Contrast features the 16 key messages from the Charter at the bottom of every page.
“I think the Charter is really important and will help young people have a good experience of active youth participation as it clearly sets out what all young people can expect from Hackney’s services.
Ari Johnson, one of the young people involved in creating the charter, explains how and why it was put together:
The Youth Charter is a set of guidelines for youth participation for organisations working with young people. The Charter was developed by young people in Hackney working with the peer education organisation, CityZEN. Contrast went to the launch event on November 9th, which included the screening of a film about how the Charter was developed, speeches by the young people involved and a question-and-answer session with Cabinet member for Children
“I have been involved with youth participation in Hackney for the past four years, starting off with the Hackney Youth Parliament. I am proud have been involved in writing the Hackney Youth Charter because young people were involved in every stage of the making of it. We all got trained as peer researchers and were properly supported by CityZEN. “To start the process we did peer research that involved going across Hackney and interviewing 300 young people to find out what they thought about participation. With the assistance from CityZEN we then
“This is important for young people and also workers, as they both know what to expect from each other and hopefully it will be a positive experience for everyone involved.” For more information on the Youth Charter go to: http://www.thehype.info/youth_charter.html
Reviews Sea Monsters 3D- A Prehistoric Adventure
Atonement (book and film)
National Geographic
By Ian McEwan
I took my brother and sister aged 9 and 11 to watch this 3D documentary about prehistoric sea monsters. We were given free 3D glasses and made to feel welcome by the host.
Atonement is a film based on the bestselling book about the relationship between an upper class English girl and her family’s gardener in pre-World War England. James McAvoy and Keira Knightley play the main roles and give brilliant performances, but what made the film good for me was the events that the little sister thinks she sees. Some of the content was a bit adult for some of Contrast’s readers, but the plot was clever without being too confusing. On reading the book I found it it didn’t mention some of the interesting stuff from the film. The description of the war in the book is good, but it requires a lot of imagination, whereas the film shows us these images easily. Overall, I loved the writing style of the book, but there wasn’t enough action for me, while the film is a perfect mixture of the two.
All three of us enjoyed the underwater scenes and my sister thought that the “3D effect was great with the scary animals with big mouths.” My brother found it quite weird at first because it was his first 3D movie but he soon took to it like a duck to water. We all thought that the out of water scenes were boring but the underwater ones were wicked. The most memorable part was in the incident where a shark attempted to eat a small fish but a bigger fish came along and ate the shark. Great for all ages. Sea Monsters is being screened at the IMAX cinema in London
Cheryl O’Garro
The Princess And The Captain By Anne-Laure Bondoux
Film: Book: Cheryl O’Garro
Listen: Music reviews Luvolution - Blind Alphabetz
If you love magical/adventure stories you'll love this book. The Princess and the Captain is set in a parallel world to our own, in the age of discovery. It follows the voyage of Malva, a runaway Princess, and Orpheus, an enthusiastic first time sailor. The plot twists are unexpected and the story is packed with action and emotion. Together with their friends, Malva and Orpheus travel to unknown parts of the world experiencing dangerous tests, action-packed fighting scenes, ghosts, and of course, romance! I loved the description of the blossoming love between Malva and The Captain. They were so sweet! Despite this, some bits were a bit slow, but definitely a worth a read for any adventure lovers!
A debut album that makes you think: ‘Yes, this is hip-hop’. Blind Alphabetz is made up of 2 Muslim African rappers, Mohammed Yahya & Iron Braydz from London. Their lyrics are phenomenal! The album has 18 tracks, a lot of them featuring other artists such as Kyza, Brotherman and few vocally strong female singers. Their beats are flawless, making it real hiphop. They rap about politics, religion, life experiences over laid back beats or mellow reggae. “Concrete Lands” and “Change” talk about real events that happened in London and show their awareness and knowledge about society. It’s a true hip-hop album and recommended for those who are looking to listen to real, new UK music.
Selin Kavlak Lara Akinnawo Youth Charter Key Messages
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14. Organisations must treat us with maturity and respect but our involvement should be fun and relevant. 15. We should continuously be involved in inspecting services and projects to make sure that they meet our needs. 16. Every year services and ‘projects’ should report to young people explaining how they are involving children and young people as active participants.