t s a r Cont
e n i z a g a M h out Y s ’ y e n k c a H Issue 15
Wacky Rymel
FREE
Following on from his MTV victory, we catch up with Hackney’s fastest rising star
Wacky Rymel
.
Teezy
. Poetry special Jan - Feb 2010
Contrast Magazine Get published in 2 hours a week. Give Contrast 2 hours a week and we’ll give you: Your work in a magazine read by thousands;
A better CV, a portfolio and accreditation; Real experience of producing a magazine; The skills you need to make it in the media;
Opportunities to interview celebrities; Free passes to big events and previews. If you’re 13-19 and live, work or study in Hackney come to one of the 2-hour Contrast sessions, every Monday, 5.00 – 7.00 pm, at the Blue Hut near Old Street. See map on page 31. And it’s free. Contrast run free workshops for schools, youth clubs and anyone else working directly with young people in Hackney. If you would like your school or youth group featured in Contrast, or to give the young people you work with the chance to have their say, please call Anna or David on 020 8521 5495 or email contrast@socialspider.com
Editorial Team Contents
Contributors
06 DYH 2010
Bianca Manu Symone-Monet Codrington Shatoya Marié Rose Phoebe Ryan-Faal Rhasan Brunner Lara Akinnawo Gordon Adeyemi Merzan Roudette Abi Oyéwumi Elsa Mampuya Durelle Stevens Toyin Oni-Olusola Anne-Marie Oni-Olusola Angelique Amoakoh Charley Hayter Gianinna Aguilar Jeniné Dikmen Anna-Nina Koduah Chanice Brown Vivian Kehinde Mohammed Jilan Miah
Discover Young Hackney events
08 Rising star Hackney dancer Wacky Rymel
12 Can we stop gun crime? Have your say
14 Teezy does it Interview with Teezy
18 School rules How to get results at school
22 The teens’ speech Teenagers speak out
24 Graphic reportage Artwork from Tales of Diversity
26 Poetry Hackney’s finest wordsmiths
Stay rooted Young people from Hackney have painted a piece of public art on Kyverdale Road. Eight young people, aged between 13 and 20 were involved in the project which took place this winter. The mammoth piece, on the side of Stoke Newington residents’, Martha and Tyrone Silcott, home was completed in just over a week. It is already a massive hit with local residents and, crucially, the home owners themselves. Staff from local charity, SkyWay and a team of volunteers began by prepping and painting the wall before the resident street artists and young people from all over Hackney began transforming the once blank wall. The final piece depicts a tree in the different seasons with part of the canopy in full bloom. Either side of the tree is a street scene resembling Kyverdale Road and an abstract river
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scene with a city landscape in the background. All of this sits on top of a layer of soil with the roots of the tree running into and spelling out ‘Stay Rooted’ – a message the young people, the artists and the Silcotts wanted to express.
Martha Silcott, home owner, says: “Having read about SkyWay and the work they do educating and channelling young people’s potential in such a positive and focussed way, I felt that my wall would be the perfect canvas for them to combine accomplished artists and inexperienced youngsters. The result of which would be a collaborative piece of art that everyone can feel proud of. I feel that is what I have on the wall now, with so many positive comments from neighbours and strangers alike; it has the “feel good factor.”
Hackney award winners
A group of young people from Hackney have been recognised for their work to improve their local community. Fawcett Youth Group collected their Philip Lawrence award from Home Secretary Alan Johnson at an awards ceremony at BAFTA in London’s West End, hosted by TV presenter and Broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald. Sir Trevor, said “The issues dealt with by this group are unquestionably important. The problems associated with how the police interact with young people is a big challenge.” The Youth Group won the award for their campaigning work on issues affecting young people. The group have made a number of short films which highlight the challenges that face young people on their estate in Clapton. Subjects range from relationships, gangs, teenage pregnancy, friendship and crime.
The group’s latest film focuses on policing and young people. Called the Cett4 Docu Drama project, the young people in the group managed all aspects of production from scripting and research to budgets, filming and editing. Yasmin Uzomah (15), a young person from the Fawcett Youth Group, says, “To win an award is fantastic and we’re all looking forward to walking on the red carpet. The one we used for our premiere only cost £3.97 and disintegrated when people walked on it.” The awards were set up in memory of head teacher Philip Lawrence who was murdered outside his school when he went to the aid of a pupil who was being attacked. Winning projects receive £1000 and become members of the Philip Lawrence Awards Fellowship which offers training and support to further winners work.
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Discover Young Hackney Festival 2010 I Love Dance: On the Move Dance Work with some of London’s finest dance artists as you try out contemporary, hip hop, house and abstract street dance. Free / Ages 11 – 19 / Drop in / Queensbridge Sports & Community Centre Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17 & Thursday 18 February, 11am – 2pm Contact Peter 020 8279 1050, peter@eastlondondance.org www.eastlondondance.org
Graphic Truths Are you passionate about comics and drawing? Explore comic design and graphic novels with a professional artist. You’ll produce your own graphic illustrations, which will be exhibited online. Free / Ages 12 – 17 / Book in advance / Eastside Educational Trust
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Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 February, 10am – 4pm Contact Laura, 020 7033 2380, laura@eastside.org.uk www.eastside.org.uk Animation Workshop Shoot your own animated film in just one day! Design characters, film them, record a soundtrack and take home a DVD of your work. £4 / Ages: 11 – 15 / Book in advance / The Rio Cinema Wednesday 17 & Thursday 18 February, 10am – 4.30pm Contact Jemma, 020 7241 9419, j.buckley@riocinema.org.uk www.riocinema.org.uk It Happened Here Want to explore Hackney’s hidden past and bring it back to life? Artists will help you transform Hackney’s history through storytelling and performance. Free / Ages 12 – 19 / Book in advance / Hoxton Hall Saturday 27 February 1 – 4pm Contact 020 7684 0060 www.hoxtonhall.co.uk www.buildingexploratory.org.uk
Original Cultures Think you could be a music producer? Learn the basics and more using laptops, controllers and turntables with producers from the UK, Italy and Japan. Free / Ages 15 – 19 / Book in advance / We are Sustain Saturday 27 February, 11am – 5pm Contact Laurent, 07910 917861, laurent@originalcultures.org www.originalcultures.org www.wearesustain.com
Act @ ATC Do you want to perform and make theatre? Do you want to learn new skills in dancing, writing, poetry and performance? Experience all of this and more with ATC and some of the most exciting theatre professionals around. In partnership with Shoreditch Trust. Free / Ages 11 – 19 / Book in advance / The Tab Centre Tuesdays (5.30 – 7.30pm) & Saturdays (10am – 12pm) in February Contact Kendall on 020 7033 7360 or atc@atctheatre.com www.atctheatre.com Signs of a Star Shaped Diva Love or fame? Would you make the right decision? Join Graeae and the cast of Signs of a Star Shaped Diva to learn about sign language and
signed song in theatre performance. Put your new skills into practice in the workshop and then go and see the play at Theatre Royal Stratford. Free / Ages 14 – 19 / Book in advance / Graeae Theatre Company Workshop: Saturday 6 February, 10am – 1pm Show: 3pm. Transport provided Contact Rachel, 020 7613 6900, rachel@graeae.org www.graeae.org Texture – Visual Arts Sometimes our thoughts and feelings can be difficult to understand, art can be a good way to express these. Take part in a day of photography and other activities where a professional art therapist will introduce you to ways of dealing with stress, anxiety or other complicated feelings. Free / Ages 14 – 25 / Drop in / Off Centre Monday 15 February, 11.30am and 4pm Contact Amanda/Jess, info@offcentre.org.uk, 020 8986 4016
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Rising star
Wacky Rymel, 16, from Hackney, beat over 300 entrants on MTV ’s ‘Good 4 the Hood’ competition. Bianca Manu finds out what makes Hackney’s fastest rising star so good Solo dancer, Wacky Rymel is a great example of what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. Wacky set up his own dance classes and had his hard work recognised by winning MTV’s ‘Good 4 the Hood’ competition. Tell us about yourself... I just love to dance. I’ve been dancing since I was about six years old. I started on stage from the age of 11. Over that time I’ve done quite a few shows in Stratford, Hackney Empire, Rich Mix and at the Mermaid Theatre. Many people are unaware that your dance group existed before MTV’s ‘Good 4 the Hood’, how did your dance group start?
I can tell you where the idea first came from. I was talking to a friend one day and he basically said, “You know what Rymel? You might as well start up your own dance group. There are other dance groups out
If I’d auditioned in a group people would have said, “OK it’s a typical street dance group doing something similar to what we’ve seen before.” there, but since you’re such a good dancer, you should share what you’ve got.” I thought you know what, that’s a good idea, and about two weeks later I started researching different studios I could use, how much it was going to cost, and information about how to start it up. Once I had the studio and knew how much it was gonna cost, how many hours I could use it for and which days of the week,
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I started promoting it by posting it on people’s walls and my status page on Facebook. By the first week I had about ten people and it kept on going from there. MTV has definitely given me publicity and people have
I’m sixteen now, but if I was given a big breakthrough, it would be dance until the end for me. 10
seen what I’m doing and they’re more into it now. Over 300 people entered MTV ’s ‘Good for the Hood’, what do you think made you stand out? I think it was mainly because I’m a solo dancer, if I’d auditioned in a group people would have said, “OK it’s a typical street dance group doing something similar to what we’ve seen before.” If there’s only one dancer they stand out and people think you step up to it more as an individual. Also, I was promoting myself as well, everyday on Facebook, every single day, about 20 times a day - seriously ’cause I knew how big the competition was, I was constantly watching other entries.
When I’m making my routines it’s usually at one, two or three in the morning. How do you get the inspiration to work out what your routine or instrumental will be?
just comes to my head. When I’m making my routines it’s usually at one, two, three in the morning, don’t know why but my head seems to work better at those times. You’ve said before that you’ve got a close relationship with your mum. What does she think about your dancing? (Laughs) My mum knows what I’m like, if I’m practising a routine at home she knows I’ll be doing it in public. She doesn’t think that’s rude or explicit, she’s actually quite cool with it. Do you plan to continue to dance when you’re older?
I’m sixteen now, but if I was given a Occasionally I create the music be- big breakthrough, it would be dance fore the routine, which is difficult until the end for me. I’ve been dobecause I then have to fit the routine ing it for a while and it’s something to the song or mix. Sometimes, I’ll I definitely enjoy. I like to follow my see something another dance group heart, and dance seems to be where it are doing and think ‘Yeah, I like that’ is, so unless I get an injury that prethen I think of how to use the move vents me from dancing I will confor a solo performer; sometimes it tinue to do it.
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Can we stop gun crime?
Why are young people commiting gun crimes? And what can we do about it? Anne-Marie Oni-Olusola shares her views No parent, or carer would teach their child to kill, so why are kids killing kids? A parent may try to teach their child to listen, but it’s up to that child whether he or she wants to or not. Even many adults don’t stick to the morals, values and way of living that they were taught. They are their own person, do what they want and make their own decisions. Some of the reasons why teens commit crime may be because of their social environment. They may have a “well my friends are doing it, so why can’t I?” mentality, they may be well brought up, but with things
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like peer pressure, they are likely to get caught up in the streets. Some examples of things that young people feel pressured to do are shoplifting, troublemaking, and underage drinking. Things like this happen especially when young people are in big groups. By committing crime they believe that it is a way to improve personal social conditions. They could have weak, broken bonds in their family, school or religion, which can make people go the wrong way and use violence as a form of getting away from things. They then choose to
No parent, or carer would teach their child to kill, so why are kids killing kids? commit crime because they feel as if they have no sense of direction, or they feel that when they commit acts of violence, they gain the sense of control that they have lost emotionally. Going to prison is something that is widely glorified instead of feared. Social working schemes, schools and the government need to fix this. The youths of today are quite apathetic about the government and resentful: they blame the government for everything. The government could try and make themselves more approachable towards young people and should make themselves more familiar with teens, as this will enable them to become proactive. They need to do this because teenagers will not be young forever; they will grow up and may not like the way things are in society, so they have to
know how to put their issues across in a positive way. It could also help reduce crime. But if teens got more into learning about the government, they will realise that they have more rights than they think they have and can make a change and improve their conditions in a positive way. We also need a better education system, to educate people against crime and give people a better route out. Some young people feel restricted by school, they find school boring and feel like they are not listened to. They start trouble and get kicked out of school and hang around and start trouble on the streets. Without parents or someone you believe telling them that school is important, they need something else. Maybe more active lessons because some people like to move about when they are learning. Also, if they let students make the rules instead of the teachers, that would help. It is understandable that it could be a child’s own choice to make a decision to go into a life of crime, but I believe that with a good education, government and care system, we could help change that and reduce knife and gun crime. See www.younghackney.org for information on how to get involved with the Area Youth Forums and call HYPAC (Hackney Young People Affected by Crime) on 020 3222 5600
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Teezy does it Teezy’s been hailed as the fresh prince of hip hop by Ras Qwemi and by the age of 13 had toured with Jay-Z. Contrast can confirm that you should believe the hype Interview by Symone, Bianca, Lara, Toyin and Angelique Teezy rose to fame with his songs ‘Take your Shoes Off ’ when he was 17 and later ‘Tootsie Roll’. He’s been away from the scene for a while, but now he’s back and set for big things in 2010. He began the interview with a confession, “I’ll let you into a secret: artists like myself, when we’re out of the spotlight for a little while, we can get a little insecure. We feel like, do they still love me? Will they love me?”
I’ll let you into a secret: artists like myself, when we’re out of the spotlight for a little while, we can get a little insecure.
When you meet fans how does it make you feel? When I go out on the street and see girls run up to me and cry or something; when you see that it makes you want to go to the studio and work twice as hard. It’s about the support from fans, that’s what’s makes me go further, because it makes you feel good. A lot of people think it makes you feel bigheaded, but it doesn’t – it just makes you feel loved. Who encouraged you at the start, before you had supporters? My mum, and my sisters ’cause I wanted to create a better life for them. The mistake I made, well not really a mistake, but if I could rewind time what I would have liked to have done is teach people about me before I released ‘Take your Shoes Off ’, for them to have an idea of who I actually am, because no one has seen that. They see this light-skinned boy who’s dancing and rapping, trying to be like Chris Brown.
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If I had no negative comments I’d be scared. I’d think no one cares about me. They don’t even want to talk about me. Who would you say you influences are? Who I look up to personally and I watch on a daily basis is Jay-Z. he opened the doors to rappers like myself to be different: because I dance, I lost a whole bunch of people who threw me on the bottom of the list straight away. He taught me a lot of things. How did the Jay-Z tour come about? I used to act. I went to Sylvia Young Theatre School, Jay-Z came along and they got 200 or 300 boys to audition, they said you have to write this amount of bars and spit a tune. At this time I didn’t even know if I wanted to rap, but I was like, OK – cool. I can’t even remember what I wrote, something about ‘you are the plug to my socket’. Loads of the boys kept dropping out and dropping out until I realised I was last three!
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There were only two other boys left and my mum says, “How do you rap like that?” and I’m like, I don’t know! Then I did it and Jay-Z’s manager and Jay-Z picked me. I met him and we did a mini-video for the tour and then we toured the UK, we did Top of the Pops, I did concerts with him. With that I saw a lot of bad things, but I did see a lot of good things too, so it kinda taught me. From doing that tour I decided that’s what I want to do. Tell us about the journey between going on tour with Jay-Z and now. There was a pause because I had to grow up. When I finished the tour I was 12 or 13. Then I released ‘Take your Shoes Off ’ when I was 17. During that time I was working on my craft. If you grow up in the public limelight it’s a lot of pressure, people think being on the TV is cool, but with that comes so much stuff. You just have to be strong. When you are on the TV, people think they can judge you. How do you deal with that? People do judge you. You get more negative feedback than positive, but the more negative comments you get, the better you want to be and the better I think you actually are, because the more people talk about you, whether they’re talking badly or not it means they know you, they’re spreading my name, so it’s cool. If
I had no negative comments I’d be scared. I’d think no one cares about me, they don’t even want to talk about me. Does the negative feedback get to you sometimes? When I was younger, it used to really get to me, I’d be like why don’t they love me? When I came into the industry, I was like, everyone’s going to love me. Who wouldn’t love me? That’s how I went in anyway, and I had a lot of people around me gassing me up. Nobody told me the truth. So when I’d get negative feedback that would really cut me, more than the positive feedback would make me feel good. I would concentrate more on the negative than the positive. What I’ve learnt to do now is focus more on the positive, like I could get 10 bad comments and I’ll just see one good comment and that would make me want to carry on. If you stop because of the haters, or you go less hard, it means they’ve won. You’ve got to believe in yourself and know there’s people out there that believe in you and you can’t really let them down can you? So I’ve learnt how to overcome that. If there are negative comments, I don’t even hear them, whereas before I would have gone out and searched for it.
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School rules
Sharpen your pencils, get some paper and take note. Lara Akinnawo offers some guidance on how to get the most out of your education in eight easy steps
It’s something we all take for granted in England: as soon as we hit a certain age, we are plunged into the world of education. We then drag ourselves through more than a decade of tests and exams, in order to get results which dictate our level of intelligence.
Do we have to feel that learning is something we are forced to do, rather than something we can enjoy and appreciate? 18
Does it have to be this way? Do we have to feel that learning is something we are forced to do, rather than something we can enjoy and appreciate? The answer is no. These are the best years of your life, and it is extremely important that you don’t miss out on too many opportunities, as being old and regretful is not a good look! Here are a few tips to help you maximise your experience of compulsory education, because you only get this chance once! Try harder: It’s easy to say, but difficult to do. So a helpful tip to keep you consistent in trying hard in everything you do is to always think of the outcome. Trying to work harder with homework, means you will get better grades and thus be more likely to have a really good career. Trying harder with friends, means you will have better relationships and feel happier.
Extra-curricular activities: A lot of schools offer a selection of extracurricular activities that go unnoticed by students. Make sure you enquire about what is being offered, whether it is dance, music, art or learning a new language. The younger you are, the easier it is to learn, so don’t let the opportunity to learn what could turn out to be your great talent slip by. Make friends: Try to expand your horizons and make different types of friends at school. Remember that education is not only what you learn in the classroom. A large part of the social skills you use as an adult are the skills you learn at school with friends. So experience interactions with different people, and give everybody a chance. You never know what you might learn. Revise early: Exams are something a lot of people really struggle with, but it is important to remember that they are not everything. Even if exams do not suit you, there are ways in which you can get decent results. Behave as if your exams are always imminent, and revise early. It is a good idea to go over what you have learnt each day in lessons when you get home, to ensure that it sticks in your memory. This way, you won’t have to try and cram everything in the night before the exam.
get up and get active. The healthier you are, the happier you are. Also, joining sports clubs is a good way of making friends. Be yourself: There is no use trying to be like someone else. You can’t pretend forever, and people usually see through it anyway. Try and stay true to yourself, and be proud of being unique. If people do not like you for who you are, then they are not worth knowing. Do not be afraid to ask for help: There are many problems that could easily be gotten rid of, but aren’t, because we refuse to ask for help. So go to your teachers, friends and parents to help you with any area you may be struggling with. After all, that’s what they’re there for! And most importantly, smile: these are supposed to be the best years of your life. Whether you believe it or not, you’ll never be as free from responsibilities as you are now. You would be surprised by how much a positive outlook, and a smile can transform your day. If you stop looking at all your worries as obstacles, but as challenges that are fun to overcome, life will be much more pleasant.
Sports and exercising: It’s easy to want to park yourself in front of the TV, or sit around eating and catching up with friends. But it is more important than ever for teenagers to
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The Teens’ Speech We know how issues like the credit crunch affect adults, but what do young people think? Bianca Manu, took part in a project with Barnado’s to find out
Barnado’s has been speaking with teenagers from across the UK about issues including poverty, gangs, crime, sex, self-harm, politics and their hopes and fears. It polled 1,000 13 to 19-year-olds from across the UK prior to the launch of its groundbreaking short film. It premiered the resulting 16-minute Teens’ Speech film in December 2009. The Teens’ Speech gives young people a chance to express themselves. It asks our opinions, instead of assuming to understand us.
The Teens’ Speech gives young people a chance to express themselves. It asks our opinions, instead of assuming to understand us. 20
Initially, I was slightly petrified by the idea of telling a group of strangers about my opinions. I began to wonder, what if they don’t agree with me? What if this is some sort of experiment to understand my mind as a teenager? Fortunately it wasn’t. Once I got over being slightly camera shy, confiding my views to the video camera and the film crew became second nature. They were respectful of my opinions and reasoning and made my views feel relevant. What you can see in the Teens’ Speech film is completely organic, none of the answers are scripted or prompted, and that’s the beauty of it: nothing’s rehearsed, it’s just spontaneous, funny and sometimes shocking. It’s the truth - which is not necessarily fact, but our valuable beliefs. One of the topics discussed with shocking responses was the issue of money and debt. A Barnado’s survey revealed that almost half of teenagers: 44%, are concerned about their parents going into debt in the run-up to Christmas and 62% of teens worry
Bianca Manu Age 15
62% 1/4 44%
of teens worry about owing money
of teens in the UK have missed a meal due to lack of money
about owing money, rising to 76% among 17 to 19-year-old girls. The poll also found a quarter of teenagers in the UK have missed a meal due to lack of money. That number rises to a third of teenagers in London. Barnardo’s chief executive Martin Narey said, “We are driven to accept that poverty and debt are concerns for adults. But the depth of UK poverty is such that children fret about it and particularly about parental debt.” Barnardo’s, the UK’s biggest children’s charity, believes that helping young people also means
of teens are concerned about their parents going into debt
helping the UK. Teenagers will inherit and shape our country, so ensuring they have promising and happy futures should be a national concern. That’s why they created The Teens’ Speech. The Teens’ Speech was premiered in widescreen HD on Christmas Day, on the UK home page of MySpace, and then later on YouTube, as part of an unprecedented partnership with both social networks. To view The Teens’ Speech film online go to www.theteensspeech.org.uk.
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A helping hand If you’re experiencing difficulties at school or problems gaining employment, Fairbridge can help Rhasan Brunner finds out more Fairbridge is an organisation which aims to work with and help young people aged 13 to 25, who face issues such as exclusion from school, homelessness, antisocial behaviour, crime and substance abuse.
Without Fairbridge I wouldn’t be in school. I have had a lot of fun and I’ve been building my team skills They encourage young people by offering them a combination of personal support and opportunities, which can change their lives and benefit them. The opportunities they offer are a wide range of challenging and structured courses where young people can gain a lot of new skills and recognition.
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Fairbridge centres are based in 15 of the UK’s most disadvantaged areas, and each year work with 3,700 young people who choose to work with them. One of the centres is based in Hackney, where Contrast decided to find out more about Fairbridge, from both the young people who have accessed its services and the staff members who have contributed a lot to the organisation. Jordan and Seyi have both used Fairbridge when they were experiencing problems at school. Seyi says, “I first found out about Fairbridge through Lambeth School. It’s helped make a balance between my school life and after-school life. It’s also given me opportunities, and it’s been a good way for me to gain awards. If it wasn’t for them I would probably still be in school, but not involved in activities. I have had opportunities to make new friends and try new things, like boxing, cooking, sports leadership courses, high ropes, camping and potholing. It’s been a positive experience because it’s helped me a lot with gaining confidence and improving my team-working skills.”
Jordan adds, “I was having trouble at school. Fairbridge helped me and has done a lot: it helped me get into another school and has built up my confidence. Without Fairbridge, I wouldn’t be in school. I have had a lot of fun and I’ve been building my team skills by interacting with new people and getting my confidence boosted from doing a wide range of activities. I’ve done golf, drama, cooking, rock climbing, environmental projects, camping, high ropes, and badminton. I also did a performance at a sprits event.” Sprits events involve young people taking up a number of challenges. We also caught up with some of the staff, outreach development workers, Jamal and Dominy. Jamal explains their role, “We do the one-to-one, hands-on work with the young people. I work with 16 to 25 year olds who are homeless, have left school or can’t get into college, or with young people who have come out of prison, helping to integrate them back into the community. Our work benefits young people by having belief in
them and giving them confidence that someone can encourage them to do activities. It also gives them the chance to be recognised for their achievements. We’re about giving them a chance, and showing them what they can do and helping them towards the future goal they want to achieve.” Dominy added, “Fairbridge is a personal development programme. We run courses for young people that are NEET (Not in Education Employment Training), at risk of becoming NEET or that aren’t doing anything. It’s for young people who don’t attend school for various reasons: because they’ve been bullied, didn’t enjoy it, or didn’t get on with their teachers. It is also for people who’ve left school. We help them to get back into education and employment, by building up their confidence, their communication skills and helping them to manage their feelings.” If you would like more information contact visit www.fairbridge.org.uk or email hackney@fairbridge.org.uk
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Twenty years later I can hear voices, also known as my conscience, asking if I’m doing the right thing. I feel my head beat against my chest. I can feel the warmth of my dad’s jumper cashmere against my skin. I can feel the music from my i-pod running through my body Michael Bublé’s lovely voice. I can smell the fresh winter breeze Tingling my nose. I can taste spiciness, from the salsa still on my tongue. I can see my hands going back and forth across this piece of paper. I can see images in my head. Right now, I’m seeing myself 20 years later.
Sense
Jeniné Dikmen
I can hear things, things that you can’t And because of this, you may smell things Unpleasant things. A horrendous stench, that sways up into your nostrils But cannot be felt, nor tasted But when you do see it, Shivers fill your body, And leave you wishing you never had your senses. Anna-Nina Koduah
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Wishlist To live in America, there’s never a dull day, there’s always places to go, things to do, new faces to see. To speak mandarin, because it looks sophisticated and is written in different ways. Jewellery, perfume, jeans, luminous things, electronics. I would use them to make myself happy. I want them because I would treasure them. Girls will be girls. Pizza, hot wings, chips, I wouldn’t change my local chicken and chip shop for the world! I’ve always wanted a laptop for myself, because I wouldn’t have to share the computer, and take it in turns with my siblings. If I had it, I wouldn’t go to sleep. I would lie that I was sick so I wouldn’t have to go to school. My laptop would entertain me. To be like Queen Latifah: independent and an inspiration. To be more serious at times. A monkey, because monkeys are cute. I would like to go back to the 1990s to be with my mother again, maybe I could change the future.
Toyin Oni-Olusola
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Who am I? You guys need to start to understand wrong from right
I’m not the girl who lets boys walk all over me
Getting yourself into crap and ridiculous fights
I’m certainly not the girl who can’t live without a boy
Open your eyes and see the light
So can’t you hear my plea?
I look at some people knowing that they could achieve
Girls are so self-conscious about image
Not going around your endz looking like a thief
“How’s my nails, how’s my hair”
I always ask myself why hassle why give yourself the grief And pulling shanks from under your sleeve
Thinking the only thing that can get them by is boys
Then I stop and think
But they need to understand that they aren’t toys
I’m the girl from Hackney
So who am I?
Who isn’t feeling pink
I will tell you who I am I am Vivian Kehinde
So who am I? Boys need to start thinking about educations not babes and honeys And I bet u think this is funny But when you really know u couldn’t even impress a dummy And at the end of the day you get shot and cry out for mummy Then I stop and think
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When I know what they hold inside is fear
I’m not a geek I’m just me fairly smart and fairly happy I’m living life just like you; the difference is that I know the path to success So let me leave you with this question, I want you to think deeply about this
Who are you? The next is:
For me to fail
What’s your excuse?
But I will tell you this
What’s your excuse for acting so thick?
You’re taking the piss
And getting people kicked You make me feel sick STOP What are you trying to prove?
Don’t take the risk I’m not telling you what to do The rest is up to you But you know that it’s true
That you’re a boss man
What’s the point of looking for beef?
That you’re a hard man
Like you’re a damn ass chief ?
’Cause that will get you nowhere
So what’s your excuse for being acting so thick
You get into gangs You hear a bullet ‘BANG’ And you think that it’s nang
And getting people kicked You make me feel sick
You’re committing a crime Don’t you think it’s time? To go out there and shine? Prove them wrong and be the best you can be Can’t you see? That this is my plea Everyone expects me to be your stereotyped black girl
Vivian Kehinde
29
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How to find us: Every Monday 5:00 - 7:00pm The Blue Hut 49 Provost Street, N1 7NZ For more details visit our blog: contrastmag.wordpress.com 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. © 2010 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 forests. Advertising: If your organisation is interested in advertising, please call Stephen on 020 8521 7956 or email: stephen@socialspider.com Download our media pack from www.socialspider.com/contrastmediapack for information on our rates and specifications. Printing managed by: Ten Alps Publishing, 9 Savoy Street, London, WC2E 7HR Tel: 020 7878 2300. Contrast team: Anne-Marie Oni-Olusola, Toyin Oni-Olusola, Abi Oyéwumi, Rachel Eriemo, Elsa Mampuya, Rhasan Brunner, Lara Akinnawo, Phoebe Ryan-Faal, Bianca Manu, SymoneMonet Codrington, Shatoya Marié Rose, Merzan Roudette and Gordon Adeymi. Contrast assistant designers: Merzan Roudette and Gordon Adeymi. Cartoons: Charley Hayter (p.24), Gianinna Aguilar (p.25) Mohammed Jilan Miah (p.30) The artwork is featured in Tales of Diversity magazine produced by Eastside Education in Hackney Contrast staff team: Mark Brown, David Floyd, Stephen Gardiner, Laurie Penny, David Warrington & Anna Selby. The Contrast team would like to thank: Hackney Council, SkyWay and Agnes Marquis. Contrast is funded by Hackney Youth Opportunity Fund, which is managed by young people in Hackney Youth Service. Contrast is supported by: SkyWay, Hackney Libraries and Exposure Organisation Limited.