Technology feeds into youth art project

Alexandra Coxon, Regeneration & Renewal, 17 August 2007

Managed by London-based charity Vital Regeneration on behalf of a consortium of public, private and voluntary sector partners, the scheme is intended to encourage young people to explore and discuss the potential of technology and art. Freqout aims to increase their interest in further education and work, through involvement with technology and working with artists and members of the business community. Project manager Amy Robins answers our panel's questions.

Q: Is the use of contemporary technology key to the appeal of this project to young people?

A: Absolutely. The point of Freqout is to encourage people to use technology to be creative and think laterally, and to engage them in group activity. We need to speak to young people in a language they understand. That means using technology they're comfortable with.

Q: Can you give examples of the types of art produced?

A: We run video workshops that teach people how to plan, shoot and edit films on their mobile phones. We even show them how to put music on top and then use Bluetooth to share the film with others. Another example is a project called 'emotional mapping', which involves giving participants a GPS device and putting bio-sensors on their fingers to record their sweat levels - indicating their emotional response - when they visit certain locations. We plot the result visually using Google Maps to show how their reactions change according to their physical environment.

Q: What criteria do you have for finding young people to take part?

A: The project was initially set up to target people living in the most deprived parts of London, but we're now spreading out of the city. Participants tend to be aged between 13 and 19, and we try to target those who have had bad experiences at school or who get more from attending youth groups than from school. There's a mix of ethnic backgrounds, but we don't mix groups of people from different estates because it's notoriously difficult to bridge the territorial divides that exist between them.

Q: Are you turning young peoples' creative interests into participation in mainstream education?

A: The project is a stepping stone, helping young people realise they have skills that might be honed through formal education. We're currently looking to apply for joint research funding with the University of the Arts in London to see if we can prove the link between what we are doing and the take-up of formal education. In the meantime, we've got anecdotal evidence. For example, one homeless young man took part in one of our projects in 2005 and we've just found out he's secured a place at university in the Midlands.

Q: What is the project's funding situation?

A: When we started in 2005, we had a contribution from Westminster City Council and the Arts Council for six months. We also received financial help from two firms in the consortium that steers Freqout. We've since attracted funding for the next two years from Westminster City Council and the John Lyons Charity.

THE PANEL

Questions were compiled with help from Craig Jones, Make Space campaign director at charity 4 Children, and Jamie Buttrick, associate director at regeneration consultancy ERS.

- Contact us If you know of an innovative scheme that merits closer scrutiny, email Adam Branson at adam.branson@haymarket.com.