22 October 2008
Young people from across the nation ascended on Westminster yesterday afternoon (October 21) to tell an audience of 60 MP’s and Ministers in the House of Commons what it really means to be a young British person in 2008.
Young people from 17 cities* united in their appeal to politicians and other opinion formers to listen to how they wish to be perceived as young British adults and what matters to them. They talked about their experiences in the Portrait of a Nation project and shared what makes the places they call home so special.
Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, stood alongside youth ambassadors to address the crowd of MP’s, Ministers and young people. He said:
“Portrait of a Nation is capturing what it means to be young and British in 2008. These young people have come a long way by exploring their roots and identity to find out what makes them who they are. More than that, it has given them a public platform to debate and explore their similarities and differences and consider where they want to be in the future.
"As a life long Evertonian, I’m extremely proud of my Liverpool heritage. For me, music and football helped me develop my values and beliefs. Of course everyone has a different story to tell about how their roots have brought them to where they are today. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people to express what matters to them, and to do so in the high profile arena of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations."
One young person who stood up and shared his experiences is Shaun Tulloch, a 20-year-old music student at Wolverhampton University.
Shaun acted as master of ceremonies at the Westminster event. He said: “It was an amazing opportunity to tell so many influential people what it’s really like to be growing up in the United Kingdom in 2008. Instead of being divided by our cities we united as young people to challenge the perception of young British adults. It was great to meet so many young people from across the UK and celebrate our own individual identities and cultures.
“I was born in Birmingham, as were my parents, but their parents were born in Jamaica, so it’s important for me to know where my relations and ancestors come from. I’m proud to be a Brummie but I’m also proud of my roots. This project has also helped me to find out more about other people’s roots. There were so many interesting stories of identity told at Westminster I can’t wait to get to Liverpool to share more.”
The 17 youth ambassadors were representing their city and more than 3000 young people who have taken part in the two-year long Portrait of a Nation project, backed by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Liverpool Culture Company.
The biggest youth project of its kind in the UK, Portrait of a Nation, has challenged young people to explore the impact their cultural roots have had on their identity and their hopes for the future as young British adults. Their journey will culminate in Liverpool, European Capital of Culture in December, where they will share their stories about their identity, their cities and fuel the debate, 'Who Do We Want to Be?’
From local dialects to fashion, the places they like to hang out, the music they listen to, young people’s lives are shaped by the cultures, places and people in their home town as much as what’s going on in the rest of the country. The youngsters from each of the cities will talk to politicians about their experiences so far and what work they plan to showcase at the special finale event at St. George’s Hall in Liverpool on the 1st and 2nd December.
Newcastle Ambassador, Alex Dobbing, aged 17, who joined the young people at Westminster, spoke of what makes her city so special. She said: “I’m a proud Geordie and this project has helped me appreciate what makes Newcastle home for me. I want more people to look behind the stereotype and find the real story. Through exploring my city I’ve learnt so much about its modern and traditional culture. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m intent on sharing my story as wide as possible.”
11 year old Josie Kelly, who travelled from Manchester to make sure her voice was heard, said: ” This has been an amazing project to be a part of, I just wish we had access to more cultural experiences like this. Manchester often gets a bad press but it’s a brilliant place and I want to share all that’s good about it. I just think more people should listen to us, because we’re the future, one person of our generation is going to be the Prime Minister but don’t wait until then, listen to what we’ve got to say now.”
The Deputy Chair and Creative Director of the Culture Company, Phil Redmond, also took part in the event. He said: “From my work on Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks, I know that giving teenagers a platform to discuss what it’s like to be a young person in modern day Britain is something which shouldn’t be under-estimated. What young people bring to any debate is a fresh insight and challenge to the validity of established wisdom.
“That is something we all need every now and then, and their work on the ‘Portrait’ project is a relevant, positive and representative portrayal of youth culture which will give many policy makers an insight they may not have had before.”
Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "The debate around Britishness and cultural identity has spread from Westminster to the street. Now it’s the turn of young people to have their say. Through Portrait of a Nation, we have helped young people right across the UK to explore where they come from, who they are and what they hope for the future. We’ve given them a voice to tell us what is important and their responses will create a portrait of our nation as seen entirely through the eyes of young people.”
Notes to Editors:
The cities taking part are:
Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, Newham (London), Manchester, Newcastle/Gateshead, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Inverness. Sound bites from all the cities youth ambassadors are available on request.
Portrait of a Nation Web Site: www.portraitofanation.net
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 26,000 projects, allocating over £4billion across the UK, including over £270million to the East of England alone.