Celebrating the creativity of young people in Evelyn
The Discover your Rhythm workshops were designed to upskill and encourage young people to share their views and aspirations for their local green spaces through music and visual arts. The young residents gained skills in observation and problem solving and the workshops were focused on promoting self-esteem and confidence as well as raising awareness about different career opportunities.
These sessions were run by Archibeats CIC in collaboration with Youth First as part of the wider Sayes Court Garden Network Project, a partnership between National Trust, Lewisham Council and the local community to re-design the estate’s green spaces.
The event was an opportunity to thank the fifteen young people who took part and celebrate their achievements with their friends and families. Mayor Brenda Dacres was joined by local ward councillors and project partners and presented certificates to the participants. The models and soundtracks generated by the Discover your Rhythm workshops were showcased and it is hoped that these young people will continue working with the project design team to incorporate their design ideas into the final plans.
The Sayes Court Garden Network Project is funded by the Mayor of London’s Green and Resilient Spaces Fund and Lewisham Council’s innovative NCIL grants programme.
Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham said:
“It was so lovely to meet the brilliant young residents involved in this project and look at their fantastic work. We really value the voices of our young people in Lewisham and these types of projects make sure that they can directly input their ideas and help shape their local area. This project has been a collaboration of many organisations and thank you so much to all our partners involved.”
Chris Price, Youth First Chief Executive said:
“This was a great project for our young people, giving them an opportunity to grow their character, learn new skills and experience different activities. We are looking forward to working closely with National Trust and local partners in the future, to bring more exciting opportunities for the young people.”
Yilmaz Korkmaz, Director of Archibeats CIC said:
“What was truly inspiring to witness was how the participants confidence grew throughout the program. They came to realize that their voices mattered, that their ideas were valuable, and that they had the power to shape their own futures. Our goal is to ensure that every child feels like their voice can be heard. We want to empower them to turn their ideas, goals, and aspirations into reality. The Discover your Rhythm project is an example of how we are working towards this goal, and we couldn't be prouder of the impact it's had within the community.”
Amy Rogers, National Trust Project Manager said:
“We have really enjoyed getting to know the young people, whose energy, enthusiasm and creative ideas have been joyful. We are looking forward to the next stage of the work, which will involve the young people working with the design team to help shape the final designs; we hope this will be a source of inspiration to those budding architects and landscape architects of the future.