Image: Cultural Connectors at Youth Manifesto launch, courtesy of University of Southampton, credit Nosa Malcolm.
Six young Cultural Connectors who created What’s Next Southampton? festival have launched a new youth manifesto.
Our Manifesto for Culture and Creativity in Southampton, subtitled A Radical Guide for Change, sets out six things young people want for Southampton. The guide was created as part of the Connecting Culture project, which was led by the University of Southampton and supported by a £75,000 grant from Arts Council England.
Connecting Culture aimed to enable young people to influence the development of Southampton as a creative and cultural city. Six local young people were recruited as Cultural Connectors, empowering youth voice within the city’s cultural sector.
The project involved over 600 children and young people in a Creative Consultation. Out of that initial research, the Cultural Connectors created What’s Next Southampton? festival. The free arts, fashion and music festival took over Guildhall Square and Cultural Quarter venues in June 2023.
This month, the same talented group launched a manifesto outlining six priorities for Culture and Creativity in Southampton.
Talking about the manifesto, the Cultural Connectors said: ‘We wish to mobilise a generation who feel empowered to use their voices and be agents for change. We want to encourage young people to want more for and from Southampton and to shape the city they will inherit.’
When asked at the launch event why it is important to make sure young people are involved in decision-making, Cultural Connector Dan (18) said: ‘As we enter the most uncertain period we’ve faced in history, we have to question who can give us solutions to the biggest crises that the planet is facing. What I’ve realised is it is important for change to be led by the people who are going to be most affected by it. In this case it is children growing up in such an unstable world. We have to let them use their voices and say what they think. We can’t always rely on people in power to decide for them. Leaders can use their resources to support young people and empower them.’
The manifesto highlights the need for young people to feel safe, included and respected in cultural spaces. It calls for more colour and pattern across the city to ignite imaginations, and for young people’s needs and interests to be recognised: ‘We are proud of Southampton’s cultural world, from our music scene to our football club. We want our interests to be considered important and relevant, including gaming and online spaces.’
Speaking about her experience of working with the Cultural Connectors, Louise Coysh, Associate Director of Arts and Culture at the University of Southampton said: ‘We couldn’t be happier with the result of placing our trust in young people, and urge other organisations to do the same. We hope city leaders will read the manifesto and take action based on the voices of young people.’
The young team behind the manifesto hope it will resonate with all young people across the city and encourage them to take pride in Southampton: ‘We all want a legacy from this and we believe that, regardless of age, we should all feel seen. Young people’s creativity deserves to be celebrated.’
Our Manifesto for Culture and Creativity in Southampton can be viewed at https://connectingculture-southampton.org.uk/our-manifesto-for-culture-and-creativity-in-southampton/
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