Nothing To Do

ABOUT ME “I want this project to show young people that when there seems like there’s nothing to do, there is. there are skills out there you can teach yourself, pick up and learn. ”

I’ve started up this project with the help of Fixers, because I think members of my generation feel that they don’t have a lot to do and that there isn’t enough out there for them.

In some ways, they are right. There have been cuts in funding and there’s definitely a lack of facilities for those aged 10 to 20.

NAME: alex FROM: Bradford AGE: 20

I see it all the time - people then end up loitering around. I’ll get on the bus to go do something, and then 3 hours later the same group will be in the same place, not doing anything in particular.

I want this project to show young people that when there seems like there’s nothing to do, there is. There are skills out there you can teach yourself, pick up and learn. Fun skills, skills that are transferable to everyday life, without you having to pay out money for classes or equipment.

When I was younger and at school, there weren’t any resources that showed me that there was something else out there I could do myself. I had to pick up these interests and teach myself, and I want to pass this message on...

There’s nothing to do is just an excuse. Be inspired.

MAJOR HOBBY: dancing YEARS AS A DANCER: 5 MAIN DANCE STYLES: STREET & CONTEMPORARY

PARKOUR “With Parkour there are no limits apart from you. It’s all about expression through movement.”

Parkour, or freerunning, was developed in France in the 1980s. It was designed as a convenient movement style for getting from point A to B. Instead of going around the wall, go over it.

PARKOUR

There’s a big influence from animals - flowing movements, making the most of your body, jumping and swinging.

I started out doing parkour just with a friend after we saw something online. We thought, ‘Let’s do that - that looks like fun,’ and it just developed from a trampoline to doing it out on the street. With parkour there are no limits apart from you. It’s all about expression through movement.

The best thing about parkour is that it’s accessible to anyone. You can literally walk out the door and if you’ve got a wall outside your front garden, do you go around it? Nah, jump over it - you’ve started parkour.

WORDS OF WISDOM There are millions of videos online to help you learn parkour, and there are plenty of people doing it these days. All you need is your surroundings and your body.

Know your limits, keep safe but have fun.

Here’s a helpful guide made by Fixers: flickr.com/photos/fixersuk/15020876117/ or scan this QR CODE >

TRICKING “a development of parkour, gymnastics with aspects of martial arts, and you can even add elements of dance.”

Tricking is essentially maryour flips, but rather kicks, flips, twists it down.

I started tricking added martial and there’s room nities. It’s powin a safe envistronger, better

TRICKING

tial arts infused gymnastics. It’s like your standard gymnastics with than really clean stuff, you can add your own style. You can add you can swing your legs through somewhere that you might put because it was a development of parkour, gymnastics with the arts, and you can even add elements of dance. It’s really creative, for it to develop. It’s quite a new sport, and it’s growing in commuerful and it’s really good for your body, so as long as you’re doing it ronment and warming up and cooling down properly, you can get and more flexible.

Tricking is essentially martial arts infused gymnastics. It’s like your standard gymnastics with your flips, but rather than really clean stuff, Inspiration: you can add your own style - kicking, flipping, twisting. You can swing your legs Tricking: Michael Guthrie through and Scottie Skelton. you Check them out Scottie Skeltons videos. somewhere normally putespecially them down.

I started tricking because it was a development of parkour, gymnastics with aspects of martial arts, and you can even add elements of dance. It’s really creative, and there’s room for it to develop.

It’s quite a new sport, and it’s growing in communities. Tricking is powerful and really good for your body, so as long as you’re doing it in a safe environment and warming up and cooling down properly, you can get stronger, better and more flexible.

WHO INSPIRES ME Michael Guthrie and Scottie Skelton. Check them out especially Scottie Skelton!

DANCE “You can travel all over the world performing or just enjoy it for what it is. It’s fun, accessible and good for you.”

DANCE I had a friend whencouraged me to try dancing. One of the first times I remember dancing was when there was a music video on TV and I saw the routine and said, ‘I can do that’. I learnt it in 20 minutes.

I started dancing in my bedroom, then moved on to a dance company in the town hall. Since then I’ve grown and developed, but my bedroom is where I started. I was self- taught. Anyone can get into it.

There are lots of areas where you can grow in dance. You can travel all over the world performing or just enjoy it for what it is. It’s fun, accessible and good for you.

There are loads of different styles you can try out street, contemporary, ballet - whatever suits you.

I personally started out as a street dancer, and then moved on to doing more contemporary dance.

There are dance classes everywhere, wherever you’re from, and you can learn whichever style suits you.

DANCE STYLE IN PHOTO: breakdance

WHO INSPIRES ME Frantic assembly, Michael Bourne, Kinjas Crew

There’s more out there than just the three activities I mention in this booklet. Gymnastics is also accessible. Wearing a leotard is not mandatory and there are open sessions out there where you can learn from the people around you.

Doing activities like tricking, dance and breakdance not only offers health benefits, it can also give you something to do and it helps you stand out from the crowd.

It can show potential employers that you’re motivated, driven and that you are working to better yourself.

You can get out of bed in the morning and achieve something new.

It doesn’t just help by making you look cool or giving you something to show off at a party - it’s teaching you important skills that are transferable to your everyday life.

REMEMBER...

‘There’s nothing to do’, it’s just an excuse. why not take up a fun, free sport today? for more information, check out:

www.parkouruk.org www.nerverush.com/tricking-guide www.danceuk.org

There’s more than just the 3 sports I mention in this book. Gymnastics is also accessible. these days. The days of needing a leotard to start it have gone and there are open sessions out there where you can learn from the people around you.

Doing activities like tricking, dance and breakdance not only has its health benefits, it can also give you something to do and it helps you stand out from the crowd.

It can show potential employers that you’re motivated, driven and that you want to work to better yourself. You can get out of bed in the morning and achieve something new. It doesn’t just help by making you look cool or giving you something to show off at a party - it’s giving you life skills transferable to your everyday life.

Never get so busy, that you forget to make a life and remember, ‘There’s nothing to do’, it’s just an excuse..

This booklet has been produced by Fixers, the campaign that helps young people ‘use their past to fix the future’.

Fixers is part-funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.