Today I was judging in the Youth House in Canning Town (one of the less desirable areas of Newham should we say). Along my travels I've met some angry kids taking everything out in their music. I expected due to the demographics to this youth centre that this would be where I would meet the most angry of children. I arrived at the centre in plenty of time and the first thing that I noticed was the thick iron bars on not only external windows and doors, but also on internal ones! I then sat down in the room that was being set up for judging which was smelling of drying paint and hadn't got a proper floor down. (Is this really how we want our youth centers to look?) I then looked at the window next to the judges table and low and behold in the reinforced glass were two very clear bullet holes.
To my great happy surprise every child that came and auditioned had wonderful energy, every one had a great presentation for us, and every mc had positive and progressive lyrics.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
1 comment:
I guess East London isn't all that bad...
It is very inspiring and in some respects a relief that some of these kids are trying to make something of themselves instead of just drifting along on the usual paths the youth of today seem to be careering down.
I am even more inspired that you are involved.
x
Post a Comment