About the Writer
Soph has been attending our open DSLR 16–25 sessions since October 2023 and continues to join our Tuesday night groups today. Since starting with us, they have had work displayed in three exhibitions, entered photography competitions, collaborated on several In Focus projects, joined three gallery trips, won a RISE bursary from Artswork, published their own art book, earned six digital badges, and overall have amazed us with their growth as an outstanding young artist.
In the post below, Soph writes about their trip to Birmingham for the Blagrave Trust’s Youth-Led Change Day: A Celebration of Youth Leadership and Social Change.
This event brought together over 90 young changemakers, activists and leaders aged 18 to 30 for a day of learning, collaboration and action for social change. Highlights included 21 young people in paid roles leading and supporting the event, 12 delivery partners including 9 youth-led collectives delivering workshops and sessions, and 2 local West Midlands changemakers hosting the day. The event also featured 3 performers who used their art to encourage reflection and inspire change.
I had the amazing opportunity to visit Birmingham to attend an event held by The Blagrave Trust, a charity that endeavour to change the lives of young people. This event focused on youth-led change and (in my own words), empowering young people to create the change in the world they so desperately need to see.
Over 100 young people from across Britain attended this event. It was amazing to see so many people with different experiences from my own, however there was a sense that we were all united by our diversity and drive for change.
The day started with two performances: a powerful song performed by Boudicca Pepper and a performance by the very talented dancer Jamaal O’Driscoll. Both performances became a chance for me to think deeper about the day to come and what I was hoping to get out of it.
The day was then structured with two workshop sessions, with time to network and share around them. Participants got to choose two out of seven workshops to attend during the event. All of the workshops looked interesting so it was a difficult choice but I chose ones I thought I would get the most from and that particularly resonated with me.
The first workshop I went to was called ‘Anti Oppression Beyond Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’. I felt like the facilitators of the workshop were well selected not only because of their amazing delivery but also because of the broadness of their life experiences and issues they were campaigning on. This workshop became a chance to extend alliances between different groups that can be oppressed. For example we talked about refugees, the LGBTQIAP+ community, people of colour and disabilities and chronic illnesses, exploring the common ground and collective struggles these marginalised groups share. Learning about others’ experiences was a privilege. I really found that this group of people were open, honest and respectful. I felt like successes were celebrated and knowledge was gained about what we each could improve/work on to make a better society. I came out of this workshop with a few ideas on how to collaborate better with others and how to make sure my work is truly representative. I’m looking forward to connecting with others from this workshop in the future.
After lunch I attended a second workshop called ‘Strategy 101’. Although this workshop was less interactive I still learnt lots. We heard about knowing your limitations and when to say no, harnessing your emotions to create positive change, keeping motivated and keeping true to your aims. I came out of this workshop with the hope to create a strategy and overall I felt inspired to pursue a more planned approach to make the changes I want to see.
A little note: this event was one of the most accessible events I have been to. The Blagrave Trust and conference staff worked really hard on this and I can’t fault them in any way. Whether it was detailed information before the event, a phone call to support, visual descriptions, wheelchair accessibility, catering options, quiet spaces, fidget toys or making sure everyone got home safely despite the storm I was really impressed (the list about accessibility could go on for ages but those were my highlights)
To finish off I just wanted to share my favourite bit about this event which was not the fancy hotel room or the fancy food but actually the people I met. It was a joy meeting so many young people and hearing about their organisations and personal endeavours. The staff went absolutely above and beyond and I hope I get to attend something like this again in the future.
Thank you In Focus for this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait to give feedback on what I have learnt and thank you to The Blagrave Trust for an amazing day!