Big Mediabox Contract

Kernow Education Arts Partnership (KEAP) and CYMAZ have succeeded in winning Big Mediabox Contract funding of £40,000 to support disadvantaged young people in Cornwall use media to tell their stories or highlight the issues that are important to them.

Working with 40 young people in Short Stay Schools, the Hospital and Education Service and youth centres, the project will use Media Professionals in radio, comic strip and digital photography to up skill and support the young people to manage and deliver their own photography, podcast and graphic novel projects and help them make sure their voices are heard in their local communities and beyond.

Mediabox is a fund that offers disadvantaged 13-19 year olds the opportunity to create their own media projects.  It enables young people to gain new skills, express themselves and get their voices heard.  KEAP and CYMAZ have a long history of working with young people in Cornwall in and out of school through arts and culture and have teamed up to deliver this project which is one of only 8 contracts awarded nationally, with 3 in the South West.

Amanda Harris, Director of KEAP said, ‘As the strategic arts education organisation for Cornwall, KEAP works extensively with schools and we are really pleased to be making these new partnerships which will allow young people who can often be sidelined to have a platform.’

As a key partner in the project, CYMAZ will be developing its new internet radio station with the young people involved, devising content, shows and using other young people as trained mentors.  Until now, there has been no county-wide radio provision dedicated to young people in Cornwall and we know from research carried out in the county that 58% of Cornish young people do not feel that their views are listened to and 62% young people require far better information and advice about things which affect them.  28% of children and young people said they don’t use any medium to communicate their views. (TellUs3 Survey – Kernow Matters 2008)

Our own Emily Foulkes (Business Development Manager), who will be managing the Mediabox project says: “This project fits brilliantly with CYMAZ’s overarching aim to support the development of a Young People’s Music and Radio Network across Cornwall.  It provides a dynamic platform for the voices and achievements of young people (regardless of their background) to be heard and counted.  CYMAZ is delighted to be working with KEAP, this is a real opportunity for young people to benefit from our combined expertise bridging the gap between formal and informal learning.

Activity will begin in September with young people from identified groups coming to an Ideas Day where they will have workshops with Media Professionals Nick Brennan who draws comic for the Beano, photographic artist Matt Pontin and Steve Cantrill aka ‘Moss’ Record Producer/DJ and Station Manager of CYMAZ Internet Radio.

Look out for a final showcase in February 2011 of all the work created on the programme.