Since we entered lockdown in March, it has been inspiring to see so many of our young people join us in virtual sessions. The fact that, for the moment, we cannot speak face-to-face, hasn’t stopped the group from learning and catching up together in the online world.
As many of our young people are beginning to become aware, the world is a fast-changing place, and as a youth organisation, we have an important role to play in that change. In light of the growing Black Lives Matter movement, it has become more important than ever before for us all to educate ourselves about our own places in society. A few sessions ago, the group engaged in a discussion about which issues were important to us, and this led to quite a big realisation: that art and music are *inherently* political acts.
Many children and young people in Coventry and beyond are developing a political consciousness, and we aim to nurture those experiences and fearlessly promote a real agenda of equality - of opportunity and of representation. Of course, words can only do so much, which is why we have included two resources (see below) for us all to look at, and to take action with. These 2 ‘takeaways’ will be a consistent part of Media Mania’s blog posts, and they will always be free to access.
Black Lives Matter is one of many growing movements that promises to carry on exposing the prejudices locked into our own systems - it is important that we empower each other to explore what we can do individually, to change hearts and minds in our own environments.
2 Things to Take Away
1) Listen to the song ‘War’ by Bob Marley.
— The group is in the middle of an exciting project to sample parts of this song.
(For those with additional hearing needs, on-screen lyrics are available on YouTube and elsewhere.)
2) Read the Youth Music Foundation’s resources for Anti-Racism.
As a group it is important to us that we all learn together, and come to understand the world a little better. Media Mania is proud to be a safe space, and we will always encourage open discussions with our young people about their own experiences.
These blog posts will become regular instalments as the weeks go on. Watch this space!
Stay safe,
Media Mania
p.s.
We are a transparent youth organisation - any information we share on here will always have a source provided and a list of further reading, if you are interested.