Comments on: FreqOUT! http://innovation-exchange.org/YoungPeople/2008/05/07/freqout/ Young people face potential exclusion at several possible life stages - leaving care, becoming homeless, legal difficulties, becoming young parents. The Innovation Exchange is focussing on young people that are excluded, marginalised and the at-risk. Today there are more than 150,000 14 to 17 year olds not in education, employment or training. This level of exclusion is an issue attracting high levels of public interest and concern, and investment. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:28:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 By: Angela McConville http://innovation-exchange.org/YoungPeople/2008/05/07/freqout/#comment-30 Angela McConville Fri, 16 May 2008 08:55:17 +0000 http://innovation-exchange.org/YoungPeople/2008/05/07/freqout/#comment-30 a) We could work with some of our associate artists to devise a toolkit and training programme that could be disseminated (licensed?) to other organisations in order to replicate the projects nationally, this would enable projects to be developed independently/locally using the best practice methods we have devised. Some of artists/technology may not be so simply replicated presently, indeed part of what any NESTA investment could help us explore are issues to do with IP and licensing. b) We develop projects through a range of sources - sometimes an artist is brought on to deliver a specific workshop or series we have initiated with community groups, to specific ends, and in other instances we work in collaboration with artists, funders and beneficiaries to develop projects collaboratively that are specific to the needs of a community that work towards a social objective utilising the most suited technology. We engage interns to do research to help us keep abreast of emergent technology developments and can initiate social applications of these where we think they have potential. I would say the most important factor is using the technology as a hook to engage young people and to get them thinking creatively about issues that affect them. We have been really successful in facilitation around issues such as Big Brother Society, Urban Design, Intergeneration and intercultural explorations, First impressions ... The technology is a method to encourage debate and bring young people together, removing social boundaries and empowering disadvantaged young people to become confident users of technology in the future. The technology is the medium to facilitate learning and understanding. a) We could work with some of our associate artists to devise a toolkit and training programme that could be disseminated (licensed?) to other organisations in order to replicate the projects nationally, this would enable projects to be developed independently/locally using the best practice methods we have devised. Some of artists/technology may not be so simply replicated presently, indeed part of what any NESTA investment could help us explore are issues to do with IP and licensing.

b) We develop projects through a range of sources - sometimes an artist is brought on to deliver a specific workshop or series we have initiated with community groups, to specific ends, and in other instances we work in collaboration with artists, funders and beneficiaries to develop projects collaboratively that are specific to the needs of a community that work towards a social objective utilising the most suited technology. We engage interns to do research to help us keep abreast of emergent technology developments and can initiate social applications of these where we think they have potential.

I would say the most important factor is using the technology as a hook to engage young people and to get them thinking creatively about issues that affect them. We have been really successful in facilitation around issues such as Big Brother Society, Urban Design, Intergeneration and intercultural explorations, First impressions … The technology is a method to encourage debate and bring young people together, removing social boundaries and empowering disadvantaged young people to become confident users of technology in the future. The technology is the medium to facilitate learning and understanding.

]]> By: Timothy Davies http://innovation-exchange.org/YoungPeople/2008/05/07/freqout/#comment-28 Timothy Davies Thu, 08 May 2008 16:36:52 +0000 http://innovation-exchange.org/YoungPeople/2008/05/07/freqout/#comment-28 I've just been exploring your blog and site more. This really does look like some fantastic innovative work - and really interesting ways of using the technology. It would be great to hear a bit more about two elements: a) How transferable the projects you've tried are. Do they need the expert artists and technologists involved? Or could they be replicated across the country using readily available kit? b) How do you decide upon projects? Are they driven by finding a particular technology and fitting a project to it? Or identifying a need and then locating the right technologies to meet it? Does the particular technology you're using matter - or is it more about having a tool to engage young people - and then using the opportunity to explore the issues that matter to them? I’ve just been exploring your blog and site more. This really does look like some fantastic innovative work - and really interesting ways of using the technology.

It would be great to hear a bit more about two elements:

a) How transferable the projects you’ve tried are. Do they need the expert artists and technologists involved? Or could they be replicated across the country using readily available kit?

b) How do you decide upon projects? Are they driven by finding a particular technology and fitting a project to it? Or identifying a need and then locating the right technologies to meet it? Does the particular technology you’re using matter - or is it more about having a tool to engage young people - and then using the opportunity to explore the issues that matter to them?

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