Issue ONE
growing up on
short change
A NOTE FROM LIVING PROOF The narrative surrounding youth violence and ‘knife crime’ has led to a moral panic, resulting in young people often being blamed and vilified by the media. We wanted to challenge that narrative by empowering young people to tell their side of the story. To centre their voices and their experiences. So we designed a 6-week creative storytelling programme to equip 15 young Londoners with the skills and knowledge to carry out creative commissions focused on social impact (with youth violence being the theme for this project). This zine is a product of their hard work and dedication. It’s filled with their truths, creativity and passion to drive meaningful change for their communities, and their generation as a whole. We know young people are passionate about the issues that affect them and are hungry to make change. This group are living proof of what happens when young people are given the necessary tools and resources to do just that. They become unstoppable. They change the world. @livingproof.world
CONTRIBUTORS Angelo Mpiani Artur Sobota Bismark "Rai.ta" Oduro-Koranteng Clara Akingbade Dana Appiah Hetty Cane Kaden Jameson Kesensa’aakhut Mordi Marvin Cheetamun Natalia Morgan Riana Moura Safia Mudhir Shreya Kirpalani Ya'Eesh Ghodiwala Yewande Ogundeji
EDITOR Miriam King THANKS Ciaran Thapar Dr. Elaine Williams Peigh Asante Winnie Ogwang Kone Ndlovu Sam Furness Jennie Potts Nellie Veltman Amber Jethwa-Flectcher Louise McNestrie Mátyás Vasicza Tanaka Saburi
This project has been supported by London Youth and funded by the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit.
FRONT COVER by Bismark "Rai.ta" Oduro-Korateng BACK COVER by Kesensa’aakhut Mordi
Yewande Ogundeji
THE BRITISH MEDIA’S REPRESENTATION OF YOUTH VIOLENCE COLIN ROACH
The portrayal of youth violence in the media, particularly in the case of Colin Roach, has consistently influenced public perception, the understanding of complex issues, and government responses. Youth violence, ranging from individualised knife crime to gang-related activities, has been a recurring focus of the British media
for decades. However, the portrayal of this issue can be problematic, often sensationalised, and selectively framed. The media’s approach often distorts the underlying causes and consequences of youth violence.
The case of Colin Roach, who died in Stoke Newington police station in 1983, exemplifies how the media influences public perception. Initially, the media accepted the police’s mysterious version of events without scrutiny, despite it not aligning with available and reliable evidence. As public pressure for justice grew, the media shifted its role and journalists began to thoroughly investigate and create a balanced representation of the case. This transition
played a vital role in pushing accountability and maintaining public awareness. Photographer David Hoffman spent some time with Colin Roach before his untimely death and captured public demonstrations and protests following it. The photographs taken before Colin’s death provide essential context to the kind of man he was deemed to be by this family and neighbourhood. The stark contrast between the peaceful scenes before and the passionate activism after the incident
highlights the impact of the tragedy on the Stoke Newington community and underscores the role of the media, including freelance photographers, in shaping the public response to youth violence. Hoffman’s work, which dates back decades, serves as a poignant reminder of the power of visual storytelling in shedding light on complex social issues. In conclusion, the British media’s portrayal of
youth violence, as seen in the Colin Roach case, highlights the importance of responsible and balanced reporting. While initial media portrayals may contribute to public mistrust, the subsequent investigative efforts play a vital role in seeking justice and accountability. The media must remain vigilant in its role as a watchdog, ensuring that public awareness and government responses are grounded in truth and justice.
All photographs courtesy of David Hoffman
“we” are highly restricted from a lot.
'You can’t this' 'You can't do that'
This is a phrase we hear a lot in this day and age.
'BANNED'
'U CAN’T'
'STOP'
Like the fact, a certain amount of children cannot be in a corner shop all at once is stereotyping children and makes them want to rebel against the rules.
These stigmas get the youths back up instead of as a community working together.
(“it takes a village” - my mum always says) to help and support the youth of today. Kaden Jameson
boys.
Boys will be An ode to the erasure of black boyhood By Dana Appiah
I’m sorry you never got to aimlessly wander the streets envisioning your future I’m sorry they already told you who you’d be They labelled it ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. They massacred their way into a 500+ year head start. The audacity To recognise your ability To Entertain, Enthral, Enrage. The gold is theirs now. You’re only good if you can win it back. like Saka in every football match You can’t go and watch yourself in the pub You ‘aint welcome Oh, but they’ll save you a seat! in the court docks perhaps perhaps the real ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ lies in their ability to
repackage your struggles ‘There is an epidemic of young boys killing each-other, and it seems to be predominantly prevalent within the black community’. The ones attempting to find solace within gangs trying to fight a system that was never made for them Their aim was never accountability The ones with absent fathers The ones with mums working all hours to make ends meet leaving the door on latch and giving him a key. That’s how they shame. And the news? That’s when they remember the boy has a name. When a mother is grieving the murder of her son We can sit here and talk about who’s to blame, But know this – this is the only time they’ll acknowledge your pain.
CHILD IN YOU(TH) A visual arts project exploring youth violence by recentering young people. If we really care about young people and violence, how does the conversation now change? Are we ready to work against the other very real violence of empty fridges, broken homes, strained familial relationships and the lack of role models? I call on both you and the child in you(th).
Kesensa’aakhut Mordi
Merriam-Webster defines youth as the time of life when one is young, especially the period between childhood and maturity. The United Nations defines this period as being between the ages of 15 and 24.
individuality. Pictures of young Black men chilling and laughing and having fun is important for us all - we are all well aware of the importance of representation and why it matters so much.
Outside of youth being used as a trendy buzzword, I think we should all recognise the inner child that we all have; the love, joy and care that inner child deserves as well as all the others who are adolescents. I had to ask myself a few questions: Who and what is the face of youth violence? What is the face of youth? And, most importantly, if we really care about youth violence then how would our responses change? I then thought, what would be the best way to challenge the pre-made notions we already have about youth & youth violence? This led to me having a dire need to document young men just being young men; cooling, chilling, having fun, spending time with one another and so forth. This included both atypical and typical pictures, as the real and only reason the typical pictures of young men (and more specifically Black men) are problematic is because of the racist caricature of Black men being criminals and low lives, which takes away from their humanity, character, and
More personally, these pictures of my friends (some of who knew one another before the shoot and some who met on the day) represent so much more. Brotherhood, friendship, love, community, and youthfulness. I called on the child in them just as I call on the child in both you and myself. The more we offer young Black men (and boys) the grace, mercy, patience, innocence, love and support they dutifully deserve (and have the right to) then the sooner we will learn to manage this socalled crisis of "youth violence", which statistically doesn't seem to occur at any higher rate than violence which involves adults. I want us all to take a closer look at how all the different levels of violence ruin communities.
Violence is gentrification. Violence is poverty. Violence is the lack of opportunity. Violence is pain. Violence is not love.
A
PERSPECTIVE
Young people are spoken for, and about, from many different perspectives - but perhaps one particularly important set of voices are missing. Five days a week, 8:00AM (don’t be late!) to 3:30PM, every young person is mandated to be in full-time education or training. And so, our teachers find themselves in a unique position, often being the most consistent adult presence in the lives of many young people. I set out to interview three young teachers on their perspectives on the after-school lives of the students they teach and the role which they believe they play in those lives. My conversations often shifted to conversations around the stories of recklessness and sometimes violence - but these concerns were underpinned by wider societal failings. Teachers worry a lot more about young people struggling themselves - financially or failed by a school system crumbling under budget cuts.
“I am certainly important to my students. But it’s crucial to acknowledge the boundaries of that. I can see what is going on, I can offer my support but the systemic issues often extend beyond the realms of my capacity. Not to mention the marking I have to do after-school myself.” Nor is the perspective of teachers not always
FROM
one of unwavering optimism or the belief in their transformative role. There is a prevailing sense of realism and hesitation as they navigate the limitations and challenges inherent in their positions.
"Seeing the challenges that some of these kids deal with daily is tough. Trying to be there for them, helping them through, takes a lot emotionally. It’s hard not to take those feelings home with me. I’ve only really finished my [teacher] training last year and don’t really know how to compartmentalise these things.” Moreover, the emotional toll on teachers themselves is undeniable. Regular interactions with students who grapple with the repercussions of violence and systemic failures contribute to a sense of professional and emotional exhaustion. This shared perspective emphasises the importance of collaborative strategies that transcend the classroom, engaging multi-sectoral efforts to foster a supportive environment for young people. In looking towards a future, teachers, with their firsthand experiences of the realities that young people face, bring a depth of perspective that transcends the stigmatised representations that dominate our media
LONDON’S CLASSROOMS narratives. Teachers’ voices need to be central in the conversations about youth violence, not only as well-informed insights into young people’s lives, but also perhaps because of the opportunity it would give them to share the stress and burden which they take on as witnesses.
environments marked by limited resources and increasing demands.
"The sustainability of our efforts is compromised when schools are underfunded” (Headteacher)
“I want to tell people - their parents, the rest of the world these kids are absolutely fine when they’re in my class. He’s chatty and engaged - but I can tell he gets stressed out and rude if I have him in the last period [session] of the day. Maybe he doesn’t want to go home? I want to ask other teachers what they do.”
Looking towards the future, there is a collective call for a reassessment of priorities and investments within the educational sector. Essential to this is the amplification of teachers’ voices in the discourse around youth violence, valuing their experiential knowledge and leveraging their insights to inform policies and interventions.
Ultimately, teachers often have a more empathetic understanding of the challenges young people encounter, recognising the difficult circumstances that frequently place them in precarious positions. However, the effectiveness of this presence and support is significantly impacted by the state of the educational system. Continuous underfunding poses a substantial challenge, exacerbating stress levels amongst educators, and limiting their capacity to offer the necessary support and engagement to their students. There is a growing concern regarding the risk of burnout amongst teachers, as they navigate
Shreya Kirpalani
GROWING UP ON $HORT CHANG£ But I was ignored Immersed into a nothing that contained everything. Justice was a myth blowing in stone. The streets simmered with the notes of an unrelenting consequence. I slipped through the cracks of grass pavements lined with frankincense. The method of this madness is written in rhapsody. I saw them wrap bodies on morgue mornings then cross their legs to Homer’s Odyssey. I knew that life was not for me and I refuse to die by their hands. Kamran Sajid
Growing Up On Short Change is an on-going project that started in September. The purpose of this project is to meet and document individuals that are let down (or feel let down) by the government. It’s based on the concept of not having the choice to choose the environment we are born into, our parents or the colour we might want to be to get opportunities. I thought the best way to approach the topic of youth violence (or violence in general) was by addressing it through systemic violence as this type of violence prevents its victims from
satisfying their basic needs, and is an avoidable impairment of the fundamental means necessary for human existence. The work explores themes of self-medication, homelessness, religion and wealth. I want to send out a message by showing the kind of people the government has chosen to ignore and the type of things we see everyday but don't pay attention to, because we are so numb to it. In the end, a person must survive and in order for that to happen they must do with what they have, legally or illegally. Bismark "Rai.ta" Oduro-Koranteng
Promised Land
Universal Credit
$elf Employed
Self Employed II
Unemployment, Stress
Life Happened
Cops&Robbers or Piano Lessons
Dinner all year around
Who funds who
Bling Bling
Transcript from Focus Group Session 60 Safia Mudhir
Recording starts. Three men sit at a small round table in the centre of a white room. No one has spoken yet; Respondent 1 aggressively scrolls on his phone, Respondent 2 rolls cigarettes and Respondent 3 stares into the distance. In the corner closest to the door, a large grey horn speaker is attached to the ceiling. It crackles a little, before a voice is heard: Moderator: Good afternoon gentlemen. I’d like to start by thanking you all for attending this focus group discussion. As informed in the advertisement, you will be compensated in due manner for your time and contributions today. This discussion is part of a qualitative research programme conducted by the University of Greenwich. I will be moderating this discussion. The format for this session is simple; we are interested in your perspectives on youth violence and its origins. The room is silent for a few moments, an uncertainty filling the air. Respondent 1, a well-groomed man in his early forties, wearing a pale blue polo-shirt and pressed trousers, clears his throat and leans forward, placing both forearms on the table. Respondent 1: I’ll get this ball rolling, shall I? I’m Richard and I work in the public sector. I won’t bore you with the details but I’ve been in the industry for the last 20 years, and let me tell you, I’m not getting any younger He turns to Respondent 2 with both hands raised and chuckles before continuing. Respondent 1: Forgive me, I’m rambling. Well, I think the topic of youth violence is a complex and pertinent issue that has, without a doubt, plagued our society for a number of decades, and it poses the question; is it just a part of the coming-of-age experience? Respondents 2 and 3 stare at him blankly. Respondent 1: Just another stage in the cycle of this thing we call life. It’s been around since the beginnings of time Dickens would be out of job if it hadn’t!
He laughs again, nervously this time. My point is, perhaps we’re just fighting a losing battle - pardon the pun. Trying to fix something or something that doesn’t want to be fixed! Respondent 2 huffs in disagreement, a deep furrow appearing between his sparse brows. His face is weathered with age, matching the worn leather lace-up shoes on his feet. His arms, although pale and wrinkled, are covered with vibrant blue inkings, their blurred designs impossible to make out. Respondent 2: Look mate, I’m all for ‘boys will be boys’; I’ve been there, I’ve lived through it. But to sit there ‘an call what’s ‘appenin out there in every estate uptown ‘part of the circle of life’ is utter bollocks. Respondent 1 faces Respondent 2 with a raised eyebrow, bemused. Respondent 1: You’ve been there, you say? So tell me, what exactly motivated you to engage in that sort of thing, Mr …? Respondent 2: It’s Ronald. Well, in my day, that “sort of thing” was just what we did. You know, all us lads playin’ up. An’ things were different back then, you know? Less stuff to do, more of a point to make. We’d seen a lot. Post-war violence. Men off fighting. It changes you - it changed us all. It was a different generation, is what I’m getting at. An’ ‘arder one, an all. I spose we were shell-shocked in our own right, born like it. They’ve no excuse, youngsters today He trails off his sentence, grumbling under his breath. Respondent 1 extends out a hand to Respondent 2 who accepts. Respondent 1 places his other hand on top and shakes hard for a little longer than necessary. He smiles at Respondent 2 resolutely before letting go. Respondent 1: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ronald, and I must say, I completely agree. This country, it’s built from the very ground up by generations like yours who faced hardships and challenges we can hardly imagine today. Your resilience and the sacrifices made by people of your era have laid the foundations for the world we live in now. It's a shame the younger generation fail to recognise and appreciate the struggles that those who came before them endured.
Respondent 3, who had been quietly observing the discussion, leans in to face both men. He's a younger man in his late twenties, wearing a hoodie and jeans, in stark contrast to the other two respondents. Respondent 3: If they’ve made so many sacrifices, why are we still seeing the same patterns repeating? Respondent 1 and 2 turn to face him. Without realising, they had both been angled away from him. Respondent 1: Well young man, you tell us! Respondent 1 laughs, his loud HA HA HA’s bouncing around the near-empty space. Respondent 3: All I’m sayin’ is, we’re facing a different kind of war. The landscape may have changed since when Ronald was kickin’ about, but that don’t mean the stakes aren’t as high. Respondent 1 scoffs. Respondent 1: And what kind of war are you facing? I’m intrigued, really, I am. Respondent 3: Poverty, limited access to educational resources. Lack of positive role models, environment, gentrification, generational trauma, overcrowding, systemic failures. No money, no food, no hope. Waking up and realising you’re exactly what people say you are. Same greyness. Grey walls. Grey skies, grey expressions. Grey tracksuits, newspapers, trash. You switch on the tele or step outside and End of recording.
Natalia Morgan
JUST ME Angelo Mpiani
In the heart of our cities, where the police sirens wail, Story of so much of our youth, a tragic, dark tale. Innocence gleam in the youth, even though it looks so bright, But somewhere along the way, they lost their light.
In a concrete Jungle, youth violence, a plague that haunts our streets, A cruel reality, a cycle that repeats. Broken dreams and shattered lives unfold, Council houses just seem to wither and grow cold.
Constantly in the headlines, hear it in the cries, Everyone’s to violence's cruel ties. My big puffer jacket is here just to protect Yet police treat it like I’m hard to detect.
But let us not forget, these are our children our brothers and sisters too, Products of a world that must change and renew. We must be the voices that speak for their plight, Illuminate the path, bring their hopes to light.
For youth violence, it's not just a statistic or TikTok trend, Reflection of a society we must mend. We have youths carrying knives, thinking that is what we need to survive, To offer them some sort of hope, so they can truly come alive.
Let's break the cycle, build bridges instead of walls, Create a world where every young heart recalls, A time of safety, love, and dreams to chase, Where youth violence fades, and in its place, we embrace.
It starts with compassion, understanding, and care, Supporting our youth, showing them we're aware. Together, we can turn the tide, be the change we seek, For the future of our children, let's empower the meek.
So let's rise as a community, let our voices be loud, Stand against youth violence, be a hopeful, united crowd. In the face of darkness, let our love take flight, To guide our youth toward a future that's bright.
We All Bleed Hetty Cane
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