written and photographed by Jahvin Morgan.
Allowing procrastination to disrupt my normal process, for the purpose of being decidedly direct, with fourteen years of government austerity, distantly tailing the aspirations of national prospects, it’s fair to note that the UK is palpably considering the ‘loss’ of a generation- education, development, prosperity– as such the future appears unutterably different, and fantastically present.
That being said, ‘on the road’ with Social Ark- Culture Exchange Programme, 2024- typified a robust, tangible collective, advocating youth aspirations and development, lexicon aside, the exchange programme exists as an initiative enabling participants to draw on their own lived experiences, in turn developing social businesses. Offered would be interactive learning workshops, exchange days to various cities, of which would give insight into how other youth organisations across the country apply their own philosophies, coupled with mentoring, an introduction to social enterprises, companied with working support to set up individual projects/businesses, as well as access to kickstart grants.
From Bradford to Nottingham to London, from farm to lake, to converted churches into youth club, to country manor to modest abodes, journeying, evident was that each participant was mindful of the issues facing Britain’s youth populace, issues considered as the tip of an already well-established iceberg, entirely sensitive to the fact that there are no well-rounded, cool idioms, of which convey social cues suitably. And then, not lost on me was the garden-fresh inventiveness, coupled with novel ideals and asserted drives, unwrapped, culminating in the certainty of just how indispensable the candidates are, and will be, not just for the continuing development of the communities in which they hoped to live, and serve, but also to witness the out-and-out resolve, the assured idealism and determination, of which, generally entices all thirty plus year olds , when admiring the enthusiasm of youthful personification.
Groups talked initiatives, and specified were the conditions of their own communities, identified was what would to be needed to bring about communal change, and how best to garner support from private and public agencies alike. And yet, though acknowledging similarities and championing differences a common theme persisted- “us and ‘them”- Southern inhabitants bemoaned noisy, busy, overwhelming metropolises, which simply anonymises people and gives them a “not my problem” attitude, whilst admiring the liberty of ‘space among the flora and fauna afforded their ‘Northern’ partners, notwithstanding the fact that southern infrastructure, and opportunity remained a far-flung, and sought after ideal according to the ‘northern’ demographic.
Looking to capture ‘the essence of a subject’, resulting in a nuanced perspective, weaving these tangible observations with introspective insight, what emerged was the treasure of learning, not so much the sometimes-ho-hum process of academia, more notably the possibilities.
Wry smiles at new information received, was, for me, the usefulness of the entire programme, because as horizons vividly broadened, consequently ideas were born, hope was furthered. In essence moments not lost on the participants of whom expressed the motivations behind their goals, deeply articulating the drive is too often part motivated by a disadvantaged background– the marginalised people and the political economy of poverty and social inclusion– and while it was encouraging to see a zeal and a zest in their endeavours, it was the aged-old narrative that the latter endeavours are borne out of; the suggestions as to how to accomplish that were few, and also promised that with endeavour – with this, with that, you know – you can accomplish the incredibly difficult, the bemoaning of a socio-economic narrative, of which come forth “this” generation has grown tired of, and fiercely resents.
Consequently, while affirming deep-rooted social distinctions, of which the cultural exchange programme aims to impress upon, the question in this case- can it be claimed that the cultural exchange impact is enduring, rather than transient and short-term’? was a question emerging as a compelling one.
In the end the cultural exchange programme congealed determinations, however unsurprising the conventional objective is, and widely spoken on, the programme reaffirmed social community commitments - how we define it, how we nurture it, how we grow it – And as of consequence the cultural exchange conveyed a sense of social intimacy and readiness, one that speaks both of commonality and sanctuary, arguably more importantly it speaks of opportunity, of which lends to hope; the cognitive skill that demonstrates an individual's ability to maintain drive in the pursuit of a particular goal.
With a national drive endeavouring to address the dearth of opportunities, available to 16–25-year-olds, from what has been the “conventionally deprived” neighbourhoods, it’s par for the course that the Social Ark Cultural Exchange Programme, emerges as one the most principal initiatives to come out of London in recent years, the learned lesson being ‘that with great need comes an unusually wide range of ideas’, and the Social Ark exchange programme is best placed to facilitate the burgeoning demand.
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