Workshops that grow with young people.

Trouble & Strife

Delivered with Southend Council and Victory Park Pupil Referral Unit

The project began with DJ workshops. During the sessions, our tutors noticed that four young people particularly enjoyed rapping. We adapted the sessions to give them space to write their own lyrics and record the tracks they had created.

Their enthusiasm and ability helped the project grow beyond the original workshops. Southend Council supported the next stage: the production of a music video.

For Urban Education, this remains a memorable example of following young people's interests and helping them take their creative work further.

My Town — Spoken Word Project

Basildon · Featured in the Basildon Echo, 28 January 2016

My Town used spoken word, poetry and contemporary music to help young people connect with classic literature. Delivered by Urban Education, with Navind Oojageer and Destry Wright, the workshops encouraged participants to explore Shakespeare through the work of modern artists and to create their own interpretations.

The project culminated in young people performing original pieces at Basildon Library. The programme and its approach to making literature accessible were featured in the Basildon Echo under the headline “How George the Poet is bringing kids back to the Bard”.