SPUD 5x5 +
Youth Voice and Influence Programme
SPUD 5x5 DVD
If your DVD is missing please view the film at www.spud5x5.org/#!final-film
SPUD 5x5 +
Youth Voice and Influence Programme
Written and Designed by Mark Drury & Phil Smith SPUD Group Illustrations by Mark Drury
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SPUD 5x5 has been supported by
Improving Young People’s Lives
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A word from PUSH There is no subject which excites more letters to Councils than planning. Every application attracts comment and we can receive hundreds, even thousands of letters and e-mails about major development proposals. That’s democracy and it’s quite right that people have their say. But very few of those letters come from young people. Teenagers don’t come to planning committee meetings. Yet in many respects it is the youngsters in our communities who are affected most: a new development shapes their future environment. New development may help meet their future housing needs, provide space for jobs or may build on land they use for recreation. So if sixteen year olds aren’t responding to consultations on planning, then it is surely the job of developers, councils and all the ‘grown-ups’ to make sure we try to give them a voice on their terms. The project this booklet outlines tried to do just that. It asked young people in communities facing development and change what they wanted to see for their future. And it gave them a chance to respond in their own way, rather than according to the rules set by the planning system. I’m sure you’ll find what came out as quite impressive, and a salutary lesson for those who think they know what young people want. The Councils involved across South Hampshire will want to build on this. We’re all committed to find ways of listening to young people. The work outlined here will help us. This booklet passes the baton firmly to those Councils – youngsters taking part have given us their views, we need to ensure we listen and learn. Simon Eden Chief Executive of Winchester City Council & Lead Chief Executive, PUSH Quality Places Delivery Panel
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Content: What is SPUD 5x5? • Context • Project Brief • Concept Programme Outline Mill Chase Community Technology College The Mountbatten School
Other Outcomes • Teachers • Local Authorities and Next Steps SPUD 5x5 as a Model for Future Work Film and Website Credits
Quilley School of Engineering St Edmund’s Catholic School Swanmore College Informal Workshops • Concept • Method • Results Key Outcomes: For Young People • Skills Gained • Knowledge Gained • Proposals for Change What do Young People Want? What do Young People REALLY Want? v
What is SPUD 5x5? Context: Around 74,000 new homes will have been built by 2026 in the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) area. The urban landscape will change fundamentally in some areas. Urban fringe will be subsumed into larger settlements. Design and quality are key concerns for everyone involved in planning these new settlements. This is not just an issue of bricks and mortar, but of creating quality places that grow into well functioning communities with local distinctiveness and individual cultures that distinguish them from their neighbours, creating diverse vibrant communities in Hampshire. Project Brief: Hampshire County Council commissioned The Solent Centre for Architecture + Design to deliver SPUD 5x5 as a continuation of the Youth Voice and Influence Programme. The YVIP programme was developed to support the work of the PUSH Quality Places Task Group. The aim of the project was to engage young people in a conversation about what it means to make and live in a Quality Place and create an arena where their views can influence today’s decision makers.
Concept: The programme was called SPUD 5x5 to build on the brand and reputation of the SPUD (Space, Placemaking and Urban Design) youth programme already developed by the Solent Centre for Architecture + Design. SPUD 5x5 worked with 5 school groups in 5 locations using a variety of methodologies and themes with each group. The workshop activities in schools were supplemented by informal contacts with young people in the 5 areas – allowing them to contribute without the need to join a specific group. The groups in each location were given one of 5 key issues to focus on as follows: • • • • •
Landscape and Green Space Heritage and Conservation Individuals and Communities Sustainability Access
All 5 school groups worked together at workshops on masterplanning, urban design and methods of investigation held in the Bargate Centre, Southampton and at Phoenix Arts, Bordon.
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Programme Outline Planning for the project commenced in June 2011 and participant groups and partners were identified and confirmed in July. The programme ran from September to December 2011.
Investigation and research
Structure of Programme: • Informal group sessions in each location Jul – Oct 2011 • Three workshops/visits per school Sept – Oct 2011 • Group workshop at Bargate Centre for all the school groups 4th Oct 2011 • Group workshop at Phoenix Arts, Bordon for all the school groups 10th Nov 2011 • Final event and presentation at the Bargate Centre for all the groups 12th Dec 2011
Analysis and reflection
At each of the locations, participants were asked to consider a particular issue in relation to a local area of development: Whitehill Bordon - Sustainability The Eco Town project. Participants – Mill Chase Community Technology College Romsey - Heritage and Conservation The ‘Abbotswood’ housing scheme. Participants – The Mountbatten School 3
Ideas development
Presentation of proposals
Legacy and publication
Eastleigh - Individuals and Communities Stage two development of the former Pirelli site. Participants – Quilley School of Engineering Portsmouth - Landscape and Green Space The Tipner development area. Participants - St Edmund’s Catholic School Swanmore - Access The impact of new housing developments on rural communities. Participants – Swanmore College Whitehill and Bordon
Romsey
Eastleigh Swanmore
Portsmouth
Each school group undertook a period of investigation into their locality, exploring both their positive and negative experiences of those
places. This enabled them to identify aspects that they felt were in need of improvement or change and also to understand the practical issues and context in which change might take place. As a team, each group agreed the focus and theme to develop a brief from which they would develop proposals for change. Ideas were refined and tested during three workshop sessions at each school using a range of media including drawing, photography, video, CAD and model making. In between workshops students were encouraged to extend their research through direct contact with the professionals involved in planning and development in their areas. Their experiences and ideas were shared and compared with their peers in all five schools while exploring a broader range of placemaking issues during the two whole group workshops. Finally each group presented their findings and proposals for change to a group of elected members, council officers, urban design professionals and interested individuals from all five areas of Hampshire on December 12th 2011.
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munity Mill Chase Com ege Technology Coll Focus: Sustainability Mill Chase is located in Bordon and Whitehill in East Hampshire. This is an area facing significant change due to the scaling back and relocation of the extensive army barracks and the creation of a new Eco Town. Both of these will reshape the town centre and lead to an influx of hundreds of new residents. Students at Mill Chase were tasked with considering what these changes meant to them and to their existing town centre and how change could be delivered in a sustainable manner. It was clear from the outset there was a large degree of misunderstanding about what the Eco Town meant and a certain amount of apathy and defeatism regarding the future of the existing town centre. Students labelled the
High Street as a ‘take away town’ and didn’t seem to have much pride in the area. The decision was taken with the students to focus on ‘what they already had’ rather than the Eco Town. Students quickly started to share their knowledge about the area and identified a number of key areas to focus on with the driving theme being to “put the heart back into Bordon”. Ideas were developed to reuse existing buildings, open up green spaces, relocate carparking and improve the quality of surrounding side streets and alleyways. Students created models and stunning photo-montages to “We were inspired to collect images of what we wanted Bordon to look like. This was a great starting point for our ideas and really got us thinking differently about what we could achieve.” Zoe Yr 9 student
“We thought hard about how we could incorporate sustainable design into our ideas. Reusing the existing buildings, designing a ‘green’ community centre and reclaiming the High Street...”
express their aspirations for the site. Their vision being to slow the traffic down, create a real centre that was people friendly and vibrant. A place where people want to spend time and an environment in which shops and business could thrive. Students regained a sense of pride in their town and the potential for what could be achieved.
Key Outcomes: Developing proposals for the High Street and new Town Square reinstated a sense of pride in their community and opened their eyes to the positive impact good design can have on the environment in which they live. It helped young people think differently about Bordon and what already existed and that the future wasn’t all about the Eco Town. Young people gained more confidence to take things they had learnt to develop into their own ideas for improving their town. 6
n The Mountbatte School Focus: Heritage and Conservation Mountbatten School serves the historic market town of Romsey in the Test Valley. Romsey is a small and picturesque town that, like many other places, faces the pressure of increased housing. One new development known as Abbotswood is already underway to the north of the town. A further development to the south (alongside the
school) is also planned. Together these developments will result in the creation of thousands of new homes. Students were asked to consider these new developments and the impact they would have on Romsey. They decided that the best way to undertake this was through a film. This would allow them to capture the heritage and identity of Romsey and incorporate this with a series of voxpops to tease out public opinion.
Although some quite strong opinions were voiced on the film, the majority of what was discussed by the young “The people was thoughtful and SPUD programme made me articulate. Their concerns more aware of the heritage in my local centred around the area…It was great to get to know where we live nature of Romsey and and work as a team on the development of what made it special. our local area” They liked the fact that
Key Outcomes: There were clear links with this programme and the requirements of the students’ GCSE course. SPUD 5x5 provided a challenging experience for the Gifted and Talented students of year 10. The project made many students think more about their local area and the sustainable preservation and development of it. Town planning and associated professions are now considered as a career option. Presentation, planning and researching skills were aided, improved and challenged throughout the experience. Collaborative team work, not just within the school but a huge outcome in terms of working with other young people and adults from different schools and backgrounds. An experience to put out of classroom field work into action. An experience that hopefully actually made a difference, not only to the young people but the local area and decision makers.
it was a small, quiet market town with a clear sense of identity and heritage. They had access to major centres such as Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth when required and didn’t want Romsey to be like those places, or worse still, to be nothing more than a dormitory town to Southampton. They felt that the growth of housing would create some benefits, but presented a very real challenge to the town if its character was to be preserved.
“We appreciated having our views heard for once, by the local councillors.”
“After attending the final presentations, I am now seriously considering a career in town planning”
f Quilley School o Engineering Focus: Individuals and Community Quilley School is located in Eastleigh and sits close by the new housing development on the site of an old Pirelli factory. There is currently a second phase of this development at planning stage, so this programme presented a real opportunity for young people to influence a live project.
they would like to see in the Pirelli Phase 2 development. Through a series of workshops, visits and discussions they were able to build their recommendations from a relatively informed position. One workshop explored the population and demographics of Eastleigh. The pupils were asked to adopt the perspective of a particular individual or group and explore what their needs might be and how these needs impacted on others in the community. “SPUD 5x5 was something I’ll never forget. I learned many things including working with people I had never met before and how to develop city designs. I will use the skills I have learnt throughout my life.� Kimberleigh
Ten students from the school undertook a project to explore the possibilities of what 9
After visiting the existing development the students identified: that green space was seemingly underused; that there was segregated housing (sheltered housing for the elderly, small terraced houses and apartment blocks); and shops that were being used as offices rather than shops.
The students also visited a community group and spoke to elderly people to gauge their perspective on the new developments and to understand a little more about Eastleigh in days gone by. This really helped to shape their thinking around multi-use and intergenerational community facilities. Students felt that the external green spaces provided a real opportunity for community cohesion and to provide facilities of real benefit to the whole community. One key idea was to incorporate a paddling pool area and water feature, that could be used as an outdoor iceskating rink during the winter. “It was interesting and fun to do because it helped me to learn about Eastleigh and was an opportunity to be involved in a local development.� Steven
Key Outcomes: The young people would like to see better integration of the housing types allowing for a greater community mix and less segregation. Green spaces should be well-maintained and better use made of them. Create a community facility with multiple uses including a nursery, computer access (internet cafĂŠ) and evening use for all ages. There should be intergenerational use of community facilities where the social history of Eastleigh might be discussed between generations in exchange for help with email, Skype and internet.
St Edmund’s Catholic School
Focus: Landscape and Green Space St Edmund’s Catholic School is located in Portsmouth which is one of the most densely built up areas in Europe. Green and open space is therefore at a premium and this represented a real challenge to the young people involved to think creatively. The students were able to link the work into their Geography lessons making them more relevant and bringing their studies to life. They began by looking around Portsmouth at the various open spaces, parks, heritage locations and visitor attractions. 11
They discovered that Portsmouth had a rich and exciting urban fabric with some very key open areas - in particular the parks. As they developed their investigations it became clear that the opportunities offered by the emerging Tipner site at the head of the M275 motorway were critical to Portsmouth’s future in a number of ways. They saw Tipner as an opportunity to create a landmark gateway at the north end of Portsmouth; a place to incorporate outstanding leisure and sports facilities (to compliment the new Mountbatten swimming pool); to develop a
vibrant marina and waterside and a real chance to ease the congestion on Portsmouth roads. Their plans included water taxis, a ferry to Gosport, park and ride, iconic and sustainable architecture for car parking and hotel facilities and new pedestrian and cycle routes. The images on these pages show some of their ideas. The photomontage to the left is a view entering Portsmouth from the north along the M275, showing a proposed new car park, hotel, marina and sports dome.
“It was a great opportunity to get students working as a team and we’d love to expand it to other year groups as part of their classwork.” (Teacher)
The students’ ideas were innovative and aspirational and made excellent use of computer software to create visuals. Their ideas generated gasps of excitement during the final presentation to councillors, officers and other professionals.
Key Outcomes: The young people involved discovered that the SPUD 5x5 programme linked to much of their school Geography work. This helped to make their learning more real. The young people felt it was very important to be able to see their ideas through to an end product that could be presented to an audience of professionals. Teachers felt that the programme enhanced their own teaching and reinforced the idea of Geography being relevant and all around us. 12
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Swanmore Colle
Focus: Access Swanmore College sits in a small community in a rural area of Hampshire. Although it is not far from major areas of population young people often feel cut-off and isolated from access to services and facilities. Thirty students tackled the project and divided themselves up into groups covering a broad range of topics including: communications, transport, IT, safety and connectivity, with the emphasis being on rural issues. The young people really engaged with this topic undertaking extensive investigation and research and coming up with many innovative approaches. Their responses were often unanticipated and this challenged everyone involved.
Other ideas focused on providing better access to the internet and computers and, in particular, providing high-speed broadband and wi-fi hotspots.
A group of young people focused on transport issues and the difficulties they encountered getting around to where they wanted to go with buses or trains. They also had very strong One student chose to film her walking route opinions about the cleanliness from home to school in the winter, “It was of the buses and along dark country lanes nice to be able to share the remarked how with no street lighting or problems in our local area and actually they often pavements. This was have someone that wants to hear about them encountered quite a shocking film and and is concerned about them – hopefully dirty seats and stimulated much discussion something will happen now!“ Ellie 13 leaking windows. amongst decision-makers at the final presentation. 13
Many of the students were very positive about living in a rural area and could see the benefits. However, they wanted to celebrate this and make much more of the bridleways and footpaths and explored the idea of new trails connecting the various settlements. They considered bringing a disused railway back into use and the possibility of incorporating art into the trails as waymarkers. “It gave me a better understanding of who is involved with the decisions that affect us and why we might not always agree with them” Joe 13
Many of the ideas developed by the young people were realistic and achievable and the school is very keen that this is the start of a dialogue with local authority decision-makers that will lead to lasting links and opportunities to make a difference in their community.
Key Outcomes: Young people are constantly told to be more independent in school, but cannot act on this at home if they cannot get to places safely without the help of adults. The issues and problems that young people have are not new problems – students remarked that things have always been like this in ‘rural’ areas, so it is time something was done about them. Young people want to be involved in the community more but don’t feel they know how to do this. There need to be more clearly defined and promoted routes and structures for engagement. Young people often feel very isolated within their individual settlements. Everyone, not just young people, want access to public transport that is clean, cheap and reliable. It could transform young people’s lives and enable them to be more independent.
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Informal Workshops Concept: To complement the work in schools, young people were contacted informally in each location to determine what was important to them about where they live. The approach varied from open access opportunities such as the SPUD team attending the Beggars Fair, a summer festival in Romsey, to workshops with the Phoenix Youth Theatre in Bordon and the Futurators, a young curators group in Portsmouth. Method: A simple questionnaire was created and completed by young people at a workshop or mailed to groups where direct contact was impossible. Questionnaires were distributed to youth workers to capture feedback from groups such as Eastleigh Youth Theatre, young Results:
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SPUD 5 x 5 SPACE,PLACEMAKING+URBAN DESIGN
een Are you betw 14 and 19? the ages of What do you think about where you
live?
What do you think about the places and spaces that you go to with your friends or family? Have you ever thought these places could be better?
Then we would like to know! Programme managed and delivered by Solent Centre for Architecture + Design. Youth Voice and Influence Programme supported by Hampshire County Council, Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and local partners. Postcard-1.indd 1
SPUD 5x5 is a project that will help you to use your knowledge about the place where you live: ● To understand how decisions are made about your town ● To develop your ideas for improvement ● To present your ideas for change to the people who make decisions about your town. If you would like to know more about SPUD 5x5 visit the website or return this card (don’t forget to add a stamp!)
www.spud5x5.org 01/07/2011 11:55:16
photographers at Ashcroft Arts Centre and a Portsmouth Libraries young voice project group. Where direct contact was possible, a brief presentation, discussion and workshop took place culminating in a response to the questionnaire. The results were collated to show the relative importance of a number of key elements in each place and fed back to the school groups.
Key Outcomes: Young People Skills gained: • Presentation: information, content, design and delivery. • Research: telephone, internet and interview techniques. • Team working: agreeing goals, managing roles and priorities. • Model making and multimedia representation. • Confidence in speaking to people in positions of influence. • Communication: use of appropriate language to effectively express opinion. Knowledge gained: • The importance of identity and quality in place-making. • Processes, priorities and limitations in local authority powers. • Understanding local development in the context of economic, environmental, social and aesthetic considerations. • Practicalities and priorities of the planning process. • Access issues including safety, routefinding, connections and transport. • Shared awareness with peers of specific issues in urban and rural areas and the value of local distinctiveness. • Appreciation of the importance of good design in making great places.
• Understanding that planning decisions of
the present will directly affect their lives in the future. • Validation of their opinions as users of places and their potential for influence. • Knowing that they don’t have to be experts to effectively express their views. Proposals for change: • Prioritisation of pedestrian safety and access e.g. street lighting and walkways in rural areas. • Creative temporary uses for empty buildings e.g. a place for young people to meet. • A forum to share ideas and concerns. • Improved intergenerational communication to increase community cohesion. • More integrated and appropriate transport links between urban and rural areas. • Viable modification to existing infrastructure to create coherent, identifiable ‘centres’ and a sense of place.
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What do young people want? Ice rinks, skate-parks, snow domes, mega cineplexes, video game arcades, graffiti walls - is this what young people want? Perhaps, some of them, but the majority of young people who participated in SPUD 5x5 were far more modest and thoughtful in their ideas and concerns. We were more likely to hear an adult suggesting that what young people wanted was a new snowdome or something equally expensive and outlandish, without necessarily having spoken to young people. Worse still,
many adults remarked that young people weren’t interested in what was happening in their town or village. When speaking to young people, from a range of backgrounds, in our experience this was rarely the case. It is very easy to stereotype young people and dismiss their opinions as invalid or unrealistic. This only serves to marginalise them and disengage them from the whole placemaking debate; a debate that SPUD demonstrates they can positively contribute to.
What do young people REALLY want?
When young people are given the information and opportunity to respond to issues concerning where they live, they are frequently knowledgeable, thoughtful and articulate in their views. It’s often the small things they are worried about, the same small things adults are worried about, which directly affect the quality of their lives. Some of the key issues that young people across the region repeatedly referred to were: • Regular, reliable and cheap public transport • Clean, safe and unprogrammed public space to be with friends and family. • An appropriate range of affordable leisure and retail facilities. • Feeling safe on footpaths and routes to and from school and friends. • Reduced traffic congestion. • Their towns and villages to be unique and enjoyable.
“I like the fact that our town is small and unique... I don’t want it to look like every other place in Britain!” (Romsey teenager)
Other Outcomes: Teachers: School curricula are very packed and teachers are under real pressure to deliver all that they have to. When suggesting that they take on something new, like SPUD 5x5, there is naturally a degree of resistance. However, throughout the programme the teachers involved have really grasped this opportunity, and have frequently seen links directly back to classroom work. In some cases it has helped towards delivering whole topics, particularly in areas such as Geography. Embarking on a programme such as SPUD 5x5 enables teachers to see a range of possibilities and links to the curriculum that they would not ordinarily be aware of. This is not a ‘tag on’ piece of work. With careful planning it can become a very effective part of many curriculum subjects, in particular (but not exclusively) Design and Technology, Art, Geography, and PSHE (Citizenship). Teachers often remark that the nature of this work has the greatest impact when delivered cross-curriculum, so that students start to
understand the relevance and make connections across subjects, reinforcing real life learning and application. Supporting teachers with the tools, resources and framework is critical in making this happen. Local Authorities and Next Steps: Participating local authorities have already invited the young people to re-present their findings and proposals to officers and elected members who were unable to attend the SPUD 5x5 final event. A list of appropriate active contacts has been shared between the schools and local authorities. We are optimistic that the project will provide a platform for ongoing dialogue and regular opportunities for young people to engage with future developments in their respective areas. 18
SPUD 5x5 as a model for future work: Young people have a real appetite to engage with placemaking and the future development of their towns and villages. Through SPUD 5x5 they have demonstrated a genuine understanding and interest in planning and design, along with embracing the opportunity to influence decision makers - and they want to do more. SPUD 5x5 always had the core ideal of creating a legacy through the programme. This has been achieved to an extent through this publication and DVD, but more importantly it is the ongoing dialogue between young people and their local authorities that will have the biggest impact. This, however, won’t happen without commitment and a framework to support meaningful conversations. This work provides a model to enable these
conversations to continue and to provide young people with an opportunity to gain new skills, seek out potential career paths, build their confidence and see themselves as dynamic citizens of the future. SPUD could become more than the occasional design festival. It has the potential to grow into an educational resource that could be offered to schools across the region. SPUD is a chance to connect teaching and learning with real life scenarios and people.
Film and Website The SPUD 5x5 film captures the programme, comments and opinions of both the young people and some of the professionals involved. The whole film can be viewed on the attached DVD or via the website. A complete website was created to support the SPUD 5x5 and can be viewed at www.spud5x5.org 19
Credits: A huge thank you to the students and staff of the schools involved: Mill Chase Community
Technology College, Bordon
Zoe Hazel, Oliver Harrison, Phillipa Crawford, Katie Sylvester, Owen
Murray, Alice Dykes, Dana Cervi, Hannah Gwatkin, Phoebe Fuller, Sean Ward and Lesley Ralls (Teachers)
The Mountbatten School, Romsey Rebecca Park, Luke Trodd, Sophie Wakefield, Matthew Collins,
Subrena Chhatwal, Harry Cutbill, Emily Robson, Tom Birkett, Alex Blandford, Amy Clarke, Laura
Swanmore College, Swanmore
Particular thanks go to:
Flossy Withinshaw, Abigail West,
County Council – for her unending
Joe Woollett, Charlotte Wood,
Benjamin Thackray, Katie Serridge, Zoe Russell, Hazel Poland, Katie McCarthy, Christopher Outlaw,
Christopher May, Sarah Le Besque,
possible with the kind support of:
Alexandra Mitchell, Katie McCarthy, Catherine Jacob, Nicholas Hollins, Sophie Hocking, Ryan Hicks, Kate
Hilton, Laura Hewitt, Anna Golding, Georgina Cox, Gabriela Conroy-
Gibbs, Christopher Chantry, Eleanor Cawte, Bethany Butler, Hannah Brown, Jasmine Bailey,
Stephen Smith (Teacher)
Chris Elvridge (Teacher)
and youth groups who have
Eastleigh
Shelby Laney, Megan McLellan,
Rachel Mould, Emily Pauley, Jessica Millicent, Steven Saywell, Aiden
Harrison, Naomi Foster, Kimberleigh Hendrikse, Jack Hunt, Stephen Shaw (SLT)
St Edmund’s Catholic School, Portsmouth
Sam Edgerton, Elysia Gill, Harriet
Henton, Michael Olive, Jack Reeves, Rob Simms (Teacher)
contacts
The SPUD 5x5 programme,
Also a big thank you to the
Quilley School of Engineering,
enthusiasm, knowledge and
Emily O’Connor, Sam Nolan,
Barrett, Sean Kirkup, Ollie Lerway, Lynsay Haydock (Teacher),
Jan Mein, Head of Arts, Hampshire
various individuals, organisations
publication and film were made PUSH Quality Places Panel Hampshire County Council Portsmouth City Council
Test Valley Borough Council Winchester City Council
East Hants District Council East Hants Youth Council Film created by: Matt Dunkinson
www.mattdunkinson.co.uk
welcomed us in to chat with them:
Programme managed and
Futurators, Aspex Gallery,
Solent Centre for
Beggars Fair Portsmouth
Phoenix Youth Theatre, Phoenix
Arts, Bordon – Steph Taylor and Rob
delivered by:
Architecture + Design
www.solentcentre.org.uk
Allerston
and
Libraries
Mark Drury
Charlotte Constantine, Ashcroft
www.spudgroup.org.uk
Youth Voice Group, Portsmouth Eastleigh Youth Theatre, Dan Hill Arts Centre and Hampshire County Council
Phil Smith
SPUD 5x5: Youth Voice and Influence Publication - March 2012 © SPUD Group www.spudgroup.org.uk