The #iwill movement has launched an initiative aimed at empowering young people in Ipswich, hosting hackathon events for participants aged 10 to 21. Volunteering Matters’ youth engagement work convenes these circles in order to empower youth. They give youth an opportunity to share their creative visions of how to make their community a better place.
The upcoming festival will showcase live music and dance performances, alongside a panel discussion where young people aged 18 to 25 can pose questions and share their thoughts. Society member Sarah Tieck, who grew up in Shotley Gate, highlighted the significance of this project. She reported that she wished she would have known about the opportunities in Ipswich when she was younger, herself.
Ms. Tieck observed, “I really do wish I had known more about what was going on in Ipswich when I was a young’un. Her involvement in the festival, particularly through her Instagram account “This is Ipswich,” aims to bridge the gap between young residents and local decision-makers.
Raph Adom is a socially conscious creative writer and cultural curator at Scripted Development. He’s joined by Ms. Tieck in an effort to learn from the aboriginal youth as much as possible, discovering their needs and aspirations for Ipswich. In doing so, he highlighted the deep need for adults to learn from young people. He said, “We all grow up and we all forget what it’s like to be a teenager.”
The festival will feature contributions from local figures, including Ash Edwards, founder of A.J. MenSpa, who has participated in previous pop-up shows in Ipswich. The focus of the event is clear: to solicit feedback from young people regarding how Ipswich can better serve them.
Ms. Tieck is especially keen to understand why young people might feel disconnected from the town. We’re still figuring things out. We’re really encouraging young people to send in questions about how Ipswich can become a better place for them to live and grow up. Why are they not coming into the borough?” she questioned.
Raph Adom reinforced this idea, encouraging community members to welcome youthful antics rather than stifle them. “So I want the elders of any community to understand that it’s okay for youngsters just to be youngsters, even if they are sitting in a square on their phones, don’t demonize them,” he remarked.
The festival represents a significant effort by the #iwill movement and Volunteering Matters to foster inclusiveness and engagement among Ipswich’s youth. The project doesn’t just amplify youth voices, it fosters an environment in which they’re able to be heard. This strategy does more than beautify the community—it enriches the minds of its growing youth population.
