INSIDE ASPIRE BLACK SUFFOLK Pathway to Black Excellence

My work experience week!

What a week! From radio and podcasting to film production and digital storytelling, this Creative Lab experience has been amazing. To top it all off, I got to meet inspiring people who are leading change and helping us think differently about the creative industry.

I’m Kavarlei, year 10 student, and two weeks ago I was on work experience with Aspire Black Suffolk. This is my blog about Inside Aspire Black Suffolk: A Pathway to Black Excellence.

The week taught me a lot about myself. Even though I sometimes think I’m not very good at speaking in groups or talking to professionals, I realised I’m actually more confident and talkative than I thought.

I spent five days taking part in a Creative Lab with Aspire Black Suffolk and four other young people. Together, we worked on different creative projects including film, podcasts, radio broadcasting, and digital storytelling.

Monday

We started by meeting Joe Bailey and Caitlan Whittaker . Fun fact! Caitlan started as a volunteer and is now a Director, which just shows how volunteering can lead to so many opportunities.

Joe Bailey is the CEO of Brightening The Corners (BTC). Did you know BTC owns The Smokehouse, runs The Baths, and St Stephen’s Church? These are all live entertainment venues that support arts and culture in Ipswich.

Tuesday

Tuesday started with us speaking to Nick from Ipswich Community Radio (ICR). Later, Glen, hosted a radio show focused on youth opportunities in Suffolk.

One thing that really stood out to me was how lots of adults said they didn’t have a good understanding of the opportunities and pathways available to them when they were younger. I think the same could be said for young people today.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we watched and supported Sherifat and Tafari create a digital story about staying safe online and understanding your rights. Glen and Andre also got involved by acting in some scenes, which was really fun to watch.

Thanks to Leon for filming our vision it was great fun..

Thursday

Thursday, Andre created a podcast about "what adults need to understand about young people and their experiences".

In the second half of the day, we met Marcus Harris-Noble Director of BTC for a tour of the BTC venues. We visited The Baths, where we learned about the history of the building and the exciting future plans for the space.

Fun fact!: this is planned to become one of the only venues of its kind in the UK. We then headed to The Church for Hot Chocolate and a little selfie.

Friday

Friday was all about winding down, editing, uploading, and putting the final touches on all our projects. We did squeeze in a visit to the BBC and met Cad Taylor who showed us around and recorded some of our thoughts.

Overall, it’s was a busy, creative, and vibrant week. I’ve learned new skills, met people, and discovered more about what our town has to offer, when it comes to culture, creativity, and opportunities for young people.

Big shout out! to all the people who have supported us , we've valued your time, Nick Kabay, Caitlan, Marcus Harris-Noble, Cad Taylor, Melissa Matthews, and a special thanks to Joe Bailey for letting us use the Smokehouse.

If you're interested in culture, creativity and making a difference in Ipswich, why not join us at Future Engineers Youth Event on Tuesday 28th July at The Church, St Peter's Street, Ipswich?

Ages 13–17: 1.00pm–3.30pmAges 18–24: 4.00pm–6.30pm

Come along, share your ideas and help shape the future of Ipswich.

To find out more or book a space, contact Marcus at marcus@marcusharrisworks.com or Tonia at tonia@aseya.uk.