Now is the time for Action. Not advice.

18 January 2023

There’s something implicitly problematic for me with the term Young Persons Steering group. Having set them up, co-delivered them, consulted for other organisations to set up theirs, there’s one thing that most people forget. The Action.

Some don’t even forget - they just don’t really care about action. They just have a steering group to say they do. And the steering group aren’t actually engrained in the operational co-creation function of the organisation.

The sector is becoming well versed in the need to establish young people panels to help shape their governance, artistic, programming or even engagement activities. And when I was approached to write a bit more around my recent tweet there’s quite a lot to unpack in 500 words- so I’m focussing this on the Action.

I’ve attended a number of events, exhibitions and talks recently where young people have presented the output of the adults “listening” project from inclusivity, access, relevance, diversity and even artistic taste- and whilst it always looks very pretty- the outcomes are almost always presented in a glossy brochure, exhibition or other art form. But where’s the Action?

I asked a young person at one of the events “so what’s next with all of this exhibition content and your needs and wants -how are the adults taking action and making it happen? and the Young Person didn’t know- so I asked the adult in the room who had led the project and they didn’t know either. So whilst it was a lovely exhibition- I can’t help thinking we’re dangerously close to increasing barriers by presenting the possibility for change- but with no real sustainable and realistic plan to action it.

So let’s say, you’ve established the group of young people, you’ve collated their thoughts, you know what they want and what they need. They’ve told you. It’s all over post it notes and flip chart paper or recorded on Jam board.

But what next?

Well you’ll have (of course?!) established the expectations and ambition of the group before you did the “listening bit” so there is a shared terms of reference or understanding for everyone. That’s crucial- and important for me to mention to frame the next bit.

Well first up. Have you got the money and resource to implement what they want? Have you allocated this in your budget before you even start to listen to them? If not, why not? Because you are gonna need it, even to maintain the ongoing conversation- let alone when they say they want bean bags in the foyer.

Invest in training for your teams and young people in having “conversations”. So often adults unknowingly shy away from conflict, and sometimes they find it easier to sit in patronising mode with children and Young People (CYP), cause it maybe enables them to hold onto power.

Next you are going to need to establish a genuine feedback loop that enables the CYP to hold the adults to account- how are the adults reporting back to the CYP?

What are the adults actions and has a timeline been agreed? What happens if the adults haven’t done the work? Are senior leadership prioritising this action alongside all of the adults other competing priorities? If an action item comes out of the programme, and you as the adult can’t realise it, embrace the conversation, but go back to the CYP with an alternative - offer 3 (minimum) solutions so they can choose the one they want you as the adult to progress. Even better- maybe you could ask them to come up with three solutions- and use that to drive the conversations. Share the vulnerability (in a safe way of course), but let’s engage CYP in the conversation.

It’s useful for us all to recognise that sometimes we need to find solutions together. But be prepared for the difficult conversation - welcome it, the purpose of the Action group is not just about bean bags, but developing an authentic meaningful dialogue. And that takes time. And probably lots of pizza.

Demystify the process- through having these conversations- young people start to understand and learn that it’s not as simple as placing an order on Argos for the beanbags. Front of house (FOH) probably have a health and safety concern. Were FOH in the initial training internally about the programme? or do they see it as just another “learning department room hire” activity. They should be in the room and part of the conversation. They are front and centre to the visitor welcome - the gate keepers when the Young Audiences or Artists first arrive.

Maybe once the CYP are confident enough they will be the visible voice within the organisation. Maybe they can deliver the training day (they need to be paid for that of course!) or a talk which explores some of the action they’ve done with the organisation.

There’s a lot to unpack here- but in summary, it’s about approaching it with a framework to achieve action and report back to the young people once the adults have done their job. And I’d argue more importantly to report back when they haven’t.

By switching the narrative here to say what we mean with a group name, we can really start to drive meaningful change that we’re so desperate to see in the sector. Calling a group the Youth Action Committee or Youth Action Group- does exactly what it says on the tin. It provokes action- it has a forward momentum. It enables the work and the outcomes to be action driven and not just chatting about what “would be nice”

Of course if you aren’t in a position to provide the action yet - you’ll probably just want to stay with youth steering or advisory group name. But just make sure you’ve got something up your sleeve for when you can’t retain the engagement of the young people. Because whilst an exhibition or a sticky note wall made with 15 CYP is lovely… it might be more relevant if the work of those 15 young people helped to attract another 100 young people to the venue. Or even 500 to an event that wouldn’t normally set foot in the place?

That’s the real action we’re after here? Surely?

To find out more about The Spark and Christopher’s work visit or contact:

https://thesparkarts.co.uk/

christopher@thesparkarts.co.uk

@thesparkarts

@gorrylikelorry

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If you are interested in setting up a Young Producers programme or a School Arts Council you can find some more top tips in this blog post - Top Tips for Young Producer and School Arts Council Projects.