Mix-d: Barnet. Youth Conference

Event Details

We had a conference day all about mixed-race identity and made 50 new friends in London. We trained a new group of Mix-d: facilitators to run peer led workshops with students from Barnet schools Ashmole, Christ College, Copthall, East Barnet, Friern Barnet, Mill Hill County, QE Girls, St. Marys CE High and the Pavilion Study Centre.

This was our first youth London event and collaboration with the London borough of Barnet. The conference offered a ‘safe space’ for mixed-race students to discuss issues around being Mix-d.

Bradley Lincoln, founder of the project started the day with an introduction and background to the work. Dannielle Gilselle (Mix-d: facilitator) gave a personal account of the project whilst Zack Bromberg and Alex Simon (Mix-d: facilitators) delivered a quiz to get things started.

After refreshments students were split into non-friendship groups and spent an hour in peer led workshops discussing issues related to mixed-race identity. A scribe was also at hand to capture their thoughts.

After lunch, students re-joined their school groups and worked with a youth facilitator and a member of staff from their school to develop an action-plan.

Many of the key issues and themes raised at the conference gave students a rare opportunity to talk about the things they rarely get a chance to talk about. At the same time it gave teaching staff an chance to hear from the student point of view.

Feed back from the conference suggested students took a great deal from the process and wished to develop more student voice activity in their schools.

If you want to have a look at the findings from the day and individual school action plans check out the Mix-d: Barnet conference page (http://www.mix-d.org/files/activity/Barnet-Report-2009-1.pdf) or to view other conference reports and resources check out: (http://www.mix-d.org/creates/).

For further information on running your own Mix-d: Identity Conference, click here, or alternatively email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

What is a Mix-d: Identity Conference?

This is a conference for students from years 9 and 10 to get together in the same space, talk about their lived experience and an opportunity to inform policy makers on future strategies. The conference creates a platform for young people from mix-d backgrounds to have a voice and be heard. They can explore issues and agendas related to the group, make recommendations to schools, local authority services and government on mix-d issues.

In summary, it bring together a group of mix-d students in one place where they can share experiences (positive and negative) and ideas in a positive but purposeful atmosphere.