Organisations' Journeys Through Music-based Mentoring: Artworks, Bradford

A Case Study from the Youth Music Mentors programme ...

This page is part of a resource pack on Music-based mentoring.

 

ABOUT ARTWORKS

Artworks Creative Communities in Bradford is a charity working since 1998 using creativity as a force for change. Currently moving, they have been based in offices in the centre of Bradford and work with a range of art forms and approaches to develop creativity with community and youth groups as well as working with businesses and other organisations.

ARTWORKS  AND MUSIC-BASED MENTORING

Artworks have been involved with Youth Music Mentors from the start and in the final year had three separate projects with one mentor each: Philip and Ben (both rappers) and Dan from Bradford Community Broadcasting who has been helping mentees develop broadcasting, music production and promotion skills. The coordinator Ged Walker has been with Artworks for eight years and has worked with young people from the start. He has kept in close contact with the mentors (and also mentees) and is crucially aware of the role the mentors can have in the lives of the young people. "Reliability and commitment to young people is absolutely essential. We have had mentors in the past who had all the music knowledge and expertise, but who let young people down, arrived late etc. I haven't re-employed them. Many of the young people we work with don't have positive role models. It is essential that mentors act responsibly. They are friendly and act as a critical friend. They have enough knowledge to signpost and enough sense to have a good idea what is going to work for that particular young person."

Mentees were recruited by mentors through freelance work in schools, PRUs, and so on, and therefore matched with mentees appropriately. Artworks also hosted a 'new cohort launch event' at which young people interested in music production could meet each other and the mentors; and then the mentors could discuss who would work best with which mentees. Previous mentee referrals through YOT were not very successful: "the volatility of their chaotic lives denies them the opportunity to have consistent musical involvement."

Ged has made it a policy to appoint mentors whom he has seen working in other contexts and who have good local knowledge. Dan has a background in youth work: he is fun and very engaged with the young people but clear on boundaries. Philip encourages young people to think about their actions and does so constructively in front of other people. (One mentee aimed to be cool, very much into knife and misogynistic rap; Philip was able to make him consider his attitudes and approach without showing him up.) Danny's mentees tended to work to 10 to 12-week projects; Ben's had a longer term with a more skills-focused approach: mentees might have 15 sessions with other opportunities to engage with activities.

Sessions were often group-based with informal one-to-one meetings as a response to need. Mentoring was a mix of group work, moving to one-to-one over time, once they felt more comfortable with adult mentoring. "Sometimes it felt it would have been better to stay with the group, particularly when it was more skills focused. They were working well as a group and would learn from each other's experiences," thought Ged. Working in a group was sometimes essential for mentees’ personal and social development. "Some of Danny's young people were there because of their inability to work in group settings and therefore you couldn't have done it any other way. The social side of it, working in a safe social space was crucial to their development." Dan concurred: "When you work with groups the mentoring process is transferred. It helps the mentee become a mentor by sharing their experience, having that exchange of ideas and opinions, sharing their knowledge."

It was important for the project that the young people develop their own sustainability in music making from the outset and also that they, rather than the mentor, owned the process. "This programme highlights the issue of the young person's own journey – their personal experience, not dictated by school or parents." The team was very clear on the extra-musical value of the music mentoring situation: "Working on rap tackles personal attitudes head on and enables young people to stand back, reflect and re-evaluate," said Ged, while Dan reflected that "Young people are not really fully conscious of the process of development and how goals, targets, reflection, and knowing where they want to be, can help them to get there – some people aren't really aware of this. This is a model that can help people identify what they want to do and what they want to be."

Working one to one at this level of emotional need was new and challenging to Artworks. Another challenge was that, unlike most other YMM projects, they didn't have ongoing music activity, but had to invest in developing the work initially. "It made us look at the way we work with our artists – it changed levels of trust. It's very different running mentoring rather than sessions in a community centre. You need to put a level of trust and faith in people which both has and hasn't been successful. We ditched three mentors along the way."

Deep outcomes take time to realise, says Ged. "While a lot of benefit can be had for those with – for example – shyness, lack of self-confidence, minor behavioural issues, or low aspirations in a 15 session-type project, the shifts that have happened with mentees with more serious challenges have taken place over a longer period of time: 18 months or so."

As a celebration of this project, past and present participants who have gone through the YMM programme had the opportunity to document what they have learnt through a film entitled How to Make Music in Bradford. The film provides advice on how to succeed in the hip-hop music industry, with practical steps on getting started, production and “'Platform and Performance”.

What the mentors say

"As an individual they can express themselves – but also the project links to the wider society. People need to get on with each other. There is segregation everywhere particularly in Bradford – music brings them together. Leading by example and giving responsibility –the ultimate example is going from mentee to mentor of which we have numerous examples. There is a ripple effect in the wider society as well as individual journeys – the former mentees are making decisions now in Bradford about what happens for young people. A lot of the time it is about the attitude of the mentor to getting them to engage with services in a consistent way – they are now involved in steering groups – arts groups coordinating “culture fusion”, a multi million pound project. This Bigger picture feeds into the city – it develops creative communities.”

An example of music produced during the music-based mentoring programme, at Artworks

 

I Apologize by Youth Music Network