Exploring Young People’s Realities & Futures through Co-production
We’ve been working with a researcher at Birmingham City University to develop our co-production practice, hearing from young people as we shape the Neighbourhood Futures Festival Youth Day on 27th June.
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Using the Steam Lab model to tackle and explore ideas, as well as empathise and learn, we have taken time to listen to and understand young people as we shape the future thinking, engagement and delivery of the Festival. Producing an empathy map was a really helpful way to do this, personifying ‘Zachi’ – to understand their challenges, anxieties for the present and future, their hopes, fears, needs and dreams.
What struck us was the expression of hopelessness, loneliness and overwhelm that many young people felt, that despite living in an era of almost constant digital connection, there’s a deep disconnection from others and from place – a need for relationships like those before the dominance of phones and screens, that are grounded and human, built through shared experience and real presence.
There’s lots to think about as we shape the festival – how we speak to engage those that feel lost, isolated and in need of this connection and community – and how we provide it. We’re really looking forward to the next part of the journey as we hand over to some brilliant young people to take their ideas forward into the festival. Watch this space!
Thank you to the brilliant young people working with us to co-produce the Climate & Youth day at the Festival on Friday 27th June – we hope we can begin to share our space with more young people and be somewhere safe to connect, experience, and find the hope!
