Understanding. Integration. Participation. Diversity. Community.Young people. Identity. Culture. Belonging. Citizenship. Memory.

Project benefits impacted children, young people, school and youth projects, the artists and audiences.  The outcomes of the project, in terms of reach, participant numbers and benefits gained exceeded our expectations. The project evolved in unexpected ways. What we have also discovered is that the outcomes/impacts extend beyond the envisaged model into other powerful individual benefits (that can be collectively mobilised) in terms of creativity and the liberating opportunity for personal reflexivity and wellbeing.

By bringing together Actons young people to explore, express & develop relationships across diverse faiths & ethnicities we aim to improve community cohesion. The objective is to increase cultural understanding, break down 'US & THEM' thinking and challenge stereotypes. The tangible result will be an effective, tested creative methodology and online resource template that can be shared.

Aims:

• Develop social interaction between young people by mapping, understanding and sharing their historical experience and its’ impact on them.
• Enhance intercultural and inter-religious dialogue through exploring the concept of ‘identity’.
• Develop social action through creative, sustainable practices and structures for youngsters to co-create their future. 

Participating schools, youth & community groups will actively engage with creative sessions involving discussion & debate, exercises & activities; creative writing & spoken word; photography & film; expressive & fine arts. Each participant preparing a piece that represents their journey to be presented at the final joint project celebratory event

Our initiative is built around an examination of our shared legacy of experiences and understanding them before devising/imagining a shared concept of what sort of citizens/neighbours we wish to become & how to develop our skills & the human qualities that we would need to fulfill this. We will manage the project, facilitate the group, analyse impact & communicate strategically on how the project has delivered & increased understanding by delivering new ways of working. Longevity is built into the project through:

• Primary & Secondary audiences

• Embedding good practice

• Evaluation & recommendations

• Sharing through the final event & touring exhibition, performance, film & talks

• Disseminate via the web, blog, social media & e-learning content

Our identity depends on our choice of memories.  Bringing together young people of different faiths, ages, ethnicities, to explore and understand their personal and community legacies as a foundation on which to build friendships and relationships of trust. Acknowledging, exploring and celebrating diversity and difference, we can creatively explore complexity.