CASS Public Lecture with Wendy Gill and Helen Smith

Autonomous Youth: "Not everyone agreed, but everyone contributed."

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Speaker: Wendy Gill and Helen Smith

Date and time: 25 March, 1-2.15pm

Location: David Goldman 232, St Peter's Campus and online (online link will be sent the day before the lecture)

The early 80's in the North East of England saw the formation of two youth-led, DIY music collectives in Sunderland (Sunderland Musicians Collective: 1980 – present) and Gateshead (Gateshead Music Collective:1980-1981. Emergent as an antidote to frustration (linked to the lack of space available to them for practicing, recording and playing live music), negotiation by these young people’s collectives saw them secure space to practice and play gigs and in doing so provide respite from the unrelenting socio-economic conditions of the time. Simultaneously these spaces and collectives provided opportunities to cooperate and create collectivist structures, allowing them to experientially explore and learn from ideological alternatives to the status quo.

Using the creative and egalitarian methods of the 1980s collectives and those of co-curation of exhibitions and informal education, (storytelling, conversation, photographic exhibition, creative workshops, images, fanzines), this research explores the collaborative agency used by young people to resist systemic issues at the local level. It studies the autonomy of space, transformative learning and creative expression when practiced in contrast to the traditional power based hierarchical divisions of child and adult; working class communities and access to public spaces and resources. It identifies the legacy and impact active participation in a collective has had on those involved and those connected with them.

This presentation will also discuss co-created knowledge; Specifically, how learning across professional disciplines extends and informs current research investigating the value of student learning located within the egalitarian and transformative values and practice of Community and Youth Work and Collaborative Curating.