On Saturday 15th the RYSE (Radical Youth Space for Educations) took over the gallery at SVA (Stroud Valley Artspace) as part of their "We are Community - are we?" project.
Throughout the day we invited people into conversation around key topics such as: the role of young people in community, intergenerational relationships and how Stroud is or isn’t supporting young people at the moment. Some key topics emerged throughout the day - from the need for more time for joy and emotional connection, to the housing crisis and the problems with the education system.
When asked about the role of youth in community, people replied with comments like “It has not changed very much. Pass tests to get on in life!! Be independent - that’s the goal. Yuk!” , “Learn to replicate social norms but don’t examine them.” and “Be the hope, learn the rope, drop the dope, learn to cope”. One that particularly stood out to us was “We must fix all the problems we’ve inherited without much support.” which linked to the second focus area around how Stroud community supports it’s youth- and there were many comments about the lack of places to dance and hang out, as well as “Intergenerational meeting places are happening in Stroud but are very niche - how can adults find the youth in themselves and meet the youth?”
The question most people were curious about however was “What do you wish your intergenerational relationships looked like?” It was really touching to see answers from people of all ages such as “shared meals and play time for all generations” , “Symbiotic. Support flowing between all ages. Non-hierarchical.” and “seeking emotional understanding both ways”, as well as “vibrant” and “more fun!” At the end of the day someone added the inspiring: “tell us your dreams. Tap into the fire of experience.”
It was a great chance to connect with new members of the community, get some support for our crowdfunder and hear all about the local issues here in Stroud - we'll leave you to explore the results of our drawing exercise from the day - enjoy and as always you can reach us with radicalrestart@gmail.com - Love and power to you all!