Empower & Transform through Placemaking: Reimagining Spaces for Youth Engagement

Background:
The "Empower & Transform" project seeks to address the need for youth engagement in cultural and spatial awareness practices. In many communities, young people lack opportunities to influence the design and use of spaces that affect their lives. By engaging young individuals in placemaking, we aim to empower them to express their ideas and actively participate in shaping their environments.

Rationale:
The project is important because it fosters a sense of agency and belonging among young people, encouraging them to contribute to community development and cultural enrichment. This aligns with the growing recognition of youth as valuable contributors to societal advancement. Empowering youth through creative practice not only enriches their lives but also leads to innovative community solutions.

Methods:
The research will be conducted in collaboration with two partner organisations: Full of Noises (FoN) and Escape2Make (E2M). FoN is dedicated to sound art and new music and is based in Barrow, while E2M, a charity, provides creative activities for young people in Lancaster and Morecambe.

We will conduct eight workshops over the course of the project, targeting 10-25 young people aged 11-18. These workshops will gradually introduce participants to placemaking principles, which focus on designing and using spaces meaningfully. Participants will be actively involved in the co-creation of an artefact—an object or design—that will symbolise their collective ideas and visions for improving local spaces.

The workshops will take place at two different sites to enhance the learning experience:

Escape2Make Venue in Lancaster: Initial co-creation of the artefact, allowing participants to engage with placemaking principles in a familiar context.
Full of Noises Venue in Barrow: Further development and transformation of the artefact, incorporating new spatial ideas and extending the reach of the project.
Participants will be supported by facilitators throughout the workshops, with the research team observing and documenting their progress. Data will be collected through direct observation, interviews, and creative outputs, providing a comprehensive view of the project's impact.

Target Population:The research focuses on young people aged 11-18 in the Lancaster and Barrow regions. This diverse group will bring varying perspectives and experiences to the project, enriching the collaborative outcomes.

The "Empower & Transform" project aims to explore cultural innovation practices through the engagement of young people aged 11-18. Using placemaking principles, the project intends to create a dynamic interaction between young audiences and cultural enterprises such as Escape2Make (E2M) and Full of Noises (FoN). The project seeks to understand and document methodologies that facilitate youth engagement in cultural settings, and shed light into what spatial conditions are required for a healthy young community.