Everybody's Reading Toolkit
ST. HELENS
Project 1 - Drama Night.
Aims
To encourage young people to read by actively involving them in drama activities based on a text.
To present reading and the library in a new and exciting way.
Where
Moss Bank Youth Club, Eskdale Avenue, Moss Bank, St. Helens. 7th december 2000.
Target group
sixteen-year olds who use moss bank youth club.
What took place
The outreach worker arranged a date with the young people at their committee meeting. This gave the young people the opportunity to oppose the idea if they did not want to be involved in drama activities.
Approximately twelve young people attended drama night - six of these were sixteen. The outreach worker held the session, which consisted of drama games followed by an improvisation competition based on W.W. Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw. The session was challenging, as not all the young people wanted to act, however the group that took part in the improvisation was the group of sixteen-year-olds. The young people who didn't participate in the competition voted the winners anonymously. The group that won the improvisation competition won a selection box each.
Tips, Strengths, and weaknesses
Tips
- Be prepared for bad language.
- Be prepared for crude improvisations.
- Have lots of games prepared.
- Prizes are definitely a good incentive.
- Make sure the young people are willing to do drama.
Strengths
- The activities involved the young people as a group and youth workers commented that this had been difficult.
- The young people seemed interested in the story - it was hoped that they might want to read it following the session.
- The young people seemed to enjoy the session and produced some humorous improvisations.
Weaknesses
- Not everyone was willing to act.
- Some young people may not have seen the link between drama and reading.
Training Template
Where to find people with drama skills who can work with young people:
- Youth theatres
- Community arts teams
- Youth services for contacts
- Educational advisors
- School library services and children's specialists
- Arts Officers for list of local contacts
- North West Arts Board for list of freelance contacts
Try encouraging Library staff to jointly plan a session with a youth worker and drama worker. The role of the library staff would be to present the link between books and drama and bring relevant stock to show the group at the end of the session, also to join up any interested members and create a positive relationship.
To pay for the drama specialist's time, try contacting your arts officer and explain the project, or contact Bron Williams, Literature Officer at North West Arts Board and emphasise the project's reader development aspect.
Project 2 - INK.. Magazine and Web site Project
Aims
- Encourage young people to read through reviews and suggestions from other young people.
- Develop literacy of young people involved in the production of the magazine and web site.
- Develop ICT skills of young people involved in the production of the magazine and web site.
- Create a sense of community with the library at the centre of that community.
Where
Youth groups in Newton-le-Willows and Newton-le-Willows Library. From December 2000 to June 2001.
Target Group
Young people aged between sixteen and twenty-five from the Newton-le-Willows area.
What took place
Following a press release, about plans for the magazine project, The Newton and Golborne Guardian contacted the outreach worker about the possibility of producing a website. The newspaper managed a community web site building programme called Communigate and suggested the library make use of this facility. The outreach worker thought this was a good idea but it was still necessary to print the magazine on paper as not everyone has Internet access. Therefore the outreach worker applied for funding to print the magazine.
The outreach worker began a poster and leaflet campaign to encourage young people to attend the first meeting of the magazine and website group and The Newton and Golborne Guardian put an article on the front page of the newspaper. The outreach worker visited all local youth groups and community centres to talk to young people about the project.
Despite promotions, only three young people and a youth worker attended the meeting on 23rd January. Further promotions leading up to a second meeting did not alter the situation. It was decided that these young people would act as a management board from the magazine and the outreach worker would try to encourage young people at youth groups to write articles as well. Following this decision, meetings moved to Newton Family and Community Centre - the young people's base as this was more convenient.
The project gained £300 funding from the North West Arts Board to print the magazine.
Tips, Strengths and Weaknesses
Tips
- Be sure you are competent enough on the computers and have the appropriate facilities.
- Involve as many young people as possible because there is a lot of space to fill.
- Meet with the young people as often as possible.
- Show young people examples of reviews and other magazines to inspire them. Boox was a useful example but it is useful to show the young people work that other young people have written for the project.
Strengths
- The young people involved joined the library and took out books to read for the project.
- The young people involved submitted a number of different pieces of writing.
- The young people were pleased and proud of what they had achieved.
- Created a partnership with the local newspaper.
- Through the articles about youth groups a sense of community was created which included useful information about young people.
Weaknesses
- *Poor take up.
*Despite initial plans, the outreach worker had to lay out the magazine and create the website. Therefore the project did not develop ICT skills or involve the young people as much as was intended. However the young people did approve the layout and all the articles included.
