Giving youngsters something to do at weekends

A theatre production performed by Rochdale teenagers is leading the way in a major campaign to give young people interesting things to do on Friday and Saturday nights.

A weekend of free nationwide activities next Friday and Saturday (10 and 11 July) will kick start the campaign as part of the Governments Aiming High strategy for young people.

The performance, which is written and staged by young people from Rochdale, was planned as a one-off but has proved so popular it is not only returning to stage but now looks set to go on tour.

The production, titled: ‘Salaam’, meaning Peace, has a cast of teenage Muslim young men who attend Friday night projects part-funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

It first played at The Contact Theatre on Oxford Road in Manchester earlier this year.

Their aim was to write and perform a series of monologues, short plays and hip-hop lyrics which would express some of the cultural issues they face and portray themselves positively to a wider audience.

Young people from Friday night projects in Milkstone, Sudden, Deeplish and Wardleworth teamed up with others from around Manchester to take part.

Open Weekend on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 July is a key milestone for local authorities and their partners to work together to improve positive activities for young people making sure there are things to do for young people on Friday and Saturday nights, the time young people and communities say they need them the most.

Under Aiming High £679m is available between 2008 and 2011, £3.988m in Rochdale, to ensure there are places to go and things to do for young people.

Youth worker Jamshed Miah, of Rochdale Borough Youth Service, said: “For some this was the first time they had ever stepped into a theatre and so for them to perform on stage was amazing. These are very streetwise kids who you might not associate with the arts.”

The young people worked with a number of dramatists, lyricists and other performers including Riz Ahmed, star of Channel 4’s acclaimed 2007 drama Britz.

Jamshed added: “They really just wanted the opportunity to say that young Asian men are as normal as any other young people in the community and have the same sensitivities as others. They played to a culturally mixed audience and the after-show discussion lasted 20 minutes.

“We have now had a request from the Contact Theatre asking for the group to perform it again for three nights in August, and The Drum Theatre in Birmingham has also been in touch asking them to perform it there.

“Everybody was amazed at what they experienced and they will be able to use that for their Duke of Edinburgh Awards - so not only are they getting a phenomenal experience they are also getting a fantastic qualification.”

Azhar Iqbal, 18, performed in a number of roles including the quiz show host in the sketch ‘How Muslim Are You?’ he said: “I was a little nervous because I had never done anything like this before but, as soon as I started, I got into it and really began to enjoy it.

“We put Salaam together because we thought we needed to be heard and it definitely achieved what we set out to do. We performed to a really mixed audience and all the feedback we got afterwards was positive, everybody left with a smile on their face.

“I would really recommend Friday and Saturday night projects; we look forward to them throughout the week and really enjoy ourselves.”

Dawn Primarolo, Minister for Children and Young People said: “It’s no surprise that young people want and need activities on Friday and Saturday evenings. In a recent survey 66% of young people said that more activities would do most to keep them out of trouble, and yet a recent survey of local evening provision showed that only around 15 per cent of evening activities are available on Friday evenings and just 2.5 per cent on Saturday evenings.

“The Open Weekend is a fantastic opportunity for local authorities to really look at the type of youth provision in their area and involve young people so that they are given a say in the activities on offer.

“We must make sure young people have things to do and places to go at the times they need them most because this is the best way to tackle the minority of young people who cause disruption.

“Preventing young people from getting involved in anti-social behaviour should be everyone’s responsibility and we are playing our part by making sure the support and funding is available.”