As a young person I never went to youth club, I was too busy vandalising stuff and getting into mischief. The council decided to crack down on graffiti, it was a matter of time till the police were at the door and I was getting prosecuted for being a public nuisance.
After being prosecuted and before I had set up Bring Colour, I didn't really have any direction and was a bit lost. One day I floated into Yardley St youth club in Hillfields and met a youth worker called Nina Mankoo. Nina must of seen something in me as she gave me my first opportunity to deliver a graffiti workshop with the young people at her centre. This was where my journey with the youth service started.
Its been over twelve years since that first session. When I started I didn't really know what goes on at a youth club, what a youth worker did or what youth work even was.
Over the years I've worked at a lot of different centres and seen a lot a different approaches to youth work. I've grown up as an artist with the youth service, I've learnt a lot from youth workers and young people and I've seen first hand what youth work is all about. Youth Club isn't just about playing pool and table tennis, youth clubs provide a safe space for young people, a place where they can learn new skills and build confidence. Youth workers build trusted relationships and through their work deal with health and social issues that effect young people. Youth work is important.
In recent times of austerity, central government cut the amount of money for local councils. Coventry Councils answer to these cuts was called "Connecting Communities" where they proposed to end universal provision in 16 locations across the city.
The youth forum included young people from different youth clubs working together collectively. Bailey set up a petition, Zara composed a letter to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, and the youth forum organised a protest against the councils proposed cuts.
As part of the consultation the council had asked for organisations to express an interest in delivering youth services in the city. I was asked by the young people at Peoples Place in Stoke Aldermoor to try and save their centre, so whilst supporting the youth forum in trying to save the whole service, I began working on a viable solution to save the one centre, Peoples Place.
The council decided to go ahead with the proposed cuts and I submitted a business case to keep Peoples Place open. Sadly it wasn't what the council were after and it got turned down.
So its the end of summer 2017 and its also the end of 16 youth clubs and the universal youth service.
I cant help but feel sad at the dismantling of something that has helped and supported so many young people and has been such a crucial part of my development as an artist and person. A massive thank you to Nina, Dave, Tracey, Tammy, Sonia, Karen, all of the workers and young people that have played a part in making the youth service something special.
We'll have to wait and see what effect these cuts will have and hope for the best.
At least no one can say we didn't put up a fight!
John Mckeown
