Another diary entry from a workshop

1. Capital City Academy in Brent was the scene for another Crime of the Century workshop. The school have selected Year 9 children at risk of exclusion for the project and this was the first workshop in the sequence. This selection strategy is risky and difficult because in inclusion terms it means that children at risk of exclusion and involvement in potential gang or fringes of gang behaviour are being  separated and isolated from their mainstream peers. From an inclusion standpoint Chickenshed would usually want their development to happen alongside and with that of their peers not seen to be so much at risk.

We tried hard in the workshop to avoid the 13/ 14 year old students feeling stigmatised and stereotyped without total success but it is early days yet.

We emphasised as a team and I led this as the delivery leader for the project, that these young people were going to be anti- gang violence role models for their school and also anti- young people being stereotyped. Some have gone along with this because we have explained the issue so clearly and strongly. Others have yet to be convinced and are reacting as if the school have stereotyped them. This is not going to be an easy project over its next seven delivery weeks.