Boroughs United 2013 took place on the 17th February 2013 at the Hackney empire.
The event was sold out, and was packed with young talented acts who took to the stage to show off
their talents. Now running for the 13th consecutive year, feedback from the crowd were really positive
and we have young people who are already preparing for 2014.
The show would not be able to happen if it is not for the army of young dedicated volunteers who made sure things
ran smoothly. More than 40 volunteers made the show a success, from the events management team, to the ushers on the night, assistant stage manager, assistant sound manager, fashion designers, media assistance for filming, back door staff, t shirt sellers and those who were responsible for all the acts on the night.
A big thank you to all of them from The Crib management team.
Holloway Prison holds female adults and young offenders remanded or sentenced by the local courts. Of these over half have reported suffering domestic violence and one in three have experienced sexual abuse.
As a young man, having the opportunity to address these young women was a shock and a privilege. Public speaking has become a major part of my life since the release of my book and I have been propelled from small community group settings to large scale lectures across the country. As a confident speaker I relish new challenges and opportunities to share my knowledge and message with others never usually feeling nervous. Yet here I was, Black History Month 2012 racking my brain for inspiration and being overcome by the unfamiliar feeling of unease.
Although the majority of my work over the last nine years has centred on the development of young men there has been overlap as their relationships with young women is often a topic of exploration. Through these projects a number of concerning issues have surfaced spanning from abuse, gang affiliations, joint enterprise and sexual exploitation. While much attention has been given to young men entangled in a street lifestyle the young women involved are often neglected. Running interventions with Janette Collins project manager of The Crib Youth club has exposed me to the concerning daily experiences of some of these young women.
The safe nature of the youth club and the trust between worker and young person has presented an environment where young women feel able to express the extent of their issues. Through intimate relationships young women had become caught up with their boyfriend’s lifestyle of drugs, guns and gangs. Pressure and coercion to hold and hide drugs and weapons were rampant with young women admitting to being initially attracted to the power and reputation from being linked with these men. However this benefit was short lived as they told us of often being treated disrespectfully, forced to be involved in criminal activities and risking going to prison for ‘love’. I learnt to listen without judging the primary focus to assist these young women to leading fulfilling lives; often referring them to other targeted organisations.
As my mind reviewed the work I had done with young women in the past my nerves began to subside. I noticed a key difference in the mentoring I had done previously; unlike speaking to young women on the verge of making a mistake or currently needing guidance, this was about young women who had come to terms with their mistake and hopefully looking forward to the next stage of their lives. My shift in perspective allowed my mind freedom to link thoughts and once ignited ideas began to flow.
On the day nerves temporarily attempted to make an appearance but they were thwarted by my increasing confidence. Prepped and passionate I left my notes on the floor and addressed the inmates from, the heart. Hope; to look forward with desire and confidence formed the foundation of my message. Speaking words that I hoped would penetrate and be effectual. I used language to challenge their perspective on themselves; evidencing that self respect was necessary “to demonstrate that you have self-respect and carry yourself in a way people will respect you because you are confident in who you are”.
Like Eleanor Roosevelt said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” and this seed I wanted to sow to them as its core concept flowed through my speech. If they took nothing else, I wanted that to impact them; being such a powerful statement. Throughout my life I have been blessed tremendously by being surrounded by strong, confident women. Their words and lessons have affected me and a number of others and I remember them to this day. My presentation gave me the opportunity to combine the voices of many inspirational women and amplify their message to a vast audience. As an ambassador of their teaching I felt privileged to translate their words to these young women and pass on the mantle of experience. In relation to help and assistance I challenged them to discern genuine people from those pretending. Regardless this support will end so self-motivation and ambition is vital to drive them to their success. I aimed to show them their importance and get them to consider their future regardless of their past. To conclude I spoke about redemption, the process of accepting mistakes and how to move forward. If and when the opportunity arises that they get a chance to re-join society what plan do they have for themselves.
This is some background statistics on women in prisons;
Women prisoner background
• One in four women in prison has spent time in local authority care as a child.
• Nearly 40% of women in prison left school before the age of 16 years, almost one in 10 were aged 13 or younger.
• 30% of women were permanently excluded from school.
• Over half the women in prison report having suffered domestic violence and one in three has experienced sexual abuse.
• 19% of women were not in permanent accommodation before entering custody and 10% of women were sleeping rough.
Reconviction and reoffending
• 51% of women leaving prison are reconvicted within one year – for those serving sentences of less than 12 months this increases to 62%. For those women who have served more than 10 previous custodial sentences the reoffending rate rises to 88%.
• 58% of women identified unemployment and lack of skills as problems contributing to their offending
A number of young women are categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by organisations, in policies and by society. Often the label focuses on the woman’s situation but may not address the misogynistic male who has attacked or controlled them. Barnados Charity run a project that helps ‘vulnerable’ young women and a manager explained that there is still much work to be done to help educate young women about various issues they face and more importantly understanding when to ask for help. Although stigmatised, seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of awareness; showing you understand your situation and realised you need support in order to succeed.
After my talk at HMP I had the opportunity to talk to some of the young women and two stood out. The first (19) explained that she was in prison due to being mistreated by her partner and using violence to defend herself. She did not see herself as being vulnerable. Societies over centuries have told us that men are innately superior to women. So when a man or boy for instance is abused the courts never used the word vulnerability rather they concentrate on perpetrator. When a woman is a victim regardless of her personality traits the word “vulnerable” is often used by the police and in courts, which in part deflects that is was solely the action of the male perpetrator that is at fault and should be fully accountable.
The second young lady, who was in her mid-twenties, came up to me and she started crying. She thanked me for coming to speak to them and told me she really appreciated it. Parts of the message had really impacted her deeply and she spoke of how her perspective had shifted and she now viewed her future more positively. I was humbled by her admission and her honesty and touched by her emotion and self-reflection.
Mentoring, guidance and direction should not be gender determined. Both young men and young women require positive role models with those in disadvantaged positions especially benefitting from a positive adult relationship. Often young men’s issues are thrown into the spotlight but I hope that those in close contact with young women will be vigilant to their needs and give them the love and support they need to make positive choices.
“Emeka is a charismatic and interesting speaker. When he spoke at HMP Holloway in support of Black History Month 2012, he engaged and entertained a large group of women, whilst presenting some challenging and inspirational ideas. His breadth of material and fluid style sustained his audience throughout and gave them plenty to think about afterwards.”
Public speaking has become a prime focus for Emeka Egbuonu. With three years experience he has the ability to grasp the attention of diverse audiences around the world through his passion, knowledge and charisma. Although presently working on two book projects, he is fully committed to sharing his experiences with young people and those interested in the progression of youth. His zeal for young people is evident in his day job. Emeka currently works at ETS (Education Transition Service) helping young people who have been excluded from school be reintegrated into mainstream education by unpicking their barriers to learning. In his spare time ‘The Crib’ youth project in Hackney remains a significant commitment. Emeka attended the club as a young person and now is part of the management team.
An avid reader and inspirational author Emeka also dabbles in the creative art of poetry. With the aim to reach the younger generation his words transcend gender, age and ethnic boundaries packed full of empowering messages. Still a young man in his own right, at just 26 Emeka is a positive role model who has achieved exceptional things in a short space of time. Dedicated and ambitious he aspires to engage even more young people with new ideas and projects to come.
The release of ‘Consequences – Breaking the Negative Cycle’ has pushed Emeka into the spotlight, providing opportunities for exposure in local and national news, on the radio and as a guest speaker for a number of events. Acclaimed as “highly informative” by Tottenham MP David Lammy, the impact of the book has spread around the world. Emeka has propelled from working in his local area to engaging with thousands in the UK, Germany and North America.
The focus on public speaking is to concentrate his ambitions on inspiring young people through words. His objectives are to enable young people to recognise their worth and fulfil their potential while providing professionals with insight on effective ways to motivate disengaged young people. Main topical concerns include youth unemployment, youth violence, gang culture, under achievement in education and supporting teenage parents.
Recent Guest Speaker Appointments:
University of East London
Birmingham City University
Oxford University
Leyton Orients Football Club (youth)
Youth Wellbeing Conference (Wolverhampton)
Guns and Knives Youth Conference (Birmingham)
Skinners Academy Secondary School (Hackney)
Various youth projects (London)
Youth Justice Coalition (Los Angeles)
Witness and Gangway Organisation (Berlin)
If you are interested in booking Emeka Egbuonu to speak at your events, school, organisation or have questions send your enquiries to;
The idea for this video came to me while I was thinking of what I wanted for the cover of the book. This video is basically what happens before that image is taken on the front cover. The whole idea is about sharing and passing on knowledge, the main character (John-Luke) who is running to help make sure his friend makes the right decision. When he eventually gets to his friend (Kelvin) and gets him to think about his actions, he hands him a book, which Kelvin eventually hands to his friend (Toby) who is still in that negative cycle. That is the image I used for the front cover of the book. Young positive men ready to break the negative cycle by sharing knowledge.
Of course there are different barriers that many young people face, the book talks about some of those barriers. The thing is that you can do all you can to help young people make the right choices, but ultimately when that time comes you have to hope they make the right choices.
For me the most important part of the front cover is the willingness of the young man who wants to receive the knowledge and use that to progress.
I hope that explains the concept of the video and how it ties into the front cover of the book.
Big thanks to the Director Sam Edwards and the producer Hannah Nedas for all their hard work.
Last week I had the opportunity to have a discussion with a group of young people who are actively involved in a gang in Hackney, East London. Their allegiance is decorated on their skin with tattoos of their postcode and gang name. They gave their consent for the documentation of our discussion based on anonymity. The intention of the dialogue was to explore their reasoning regarding their gang involvement. None of these young people are engaged with local youth projects.
Initially the conversation focused on questions about gang hierarchy. With a unanimous voice they declared that they answer to no one and will act on impulse. One replied “the time we use to answer to ‘olders’ (older gang member) is long gone”. “You have to put in the work for your team; this is how you get your status up. Eventually when people know your name they will fear you as an individual or your gang.” Another shouted “at the end of the day it is all about respect”
I intercepted their outbursts with a personal account of my annual video tribute dedicated to all the young people who had died in London due to gang and youth violence. Expressing my sorrow at this situation I enquired about their feelings towards youth deaths. The response I got did not surprise me, the oldest one exclaimed “this is how it is now, people become immune unless they are directly affected”. There was no emotion on their faces, lacking empathy they were devoid of care. The desensitisation to youth fatalities was evident in their reactions. It became apparent that this hard outer shell was embedded into their survival technique ‘never show signs of weakness’.
My questioning shifted to serious topics: Are you willing to kill for your ideals, your gang, or where you live?
The smallest out of the group replied; “we are in too deep, I have enemies who probably will not hesitate to kill me if they saw me slipping (caught off guard). That is why I am always prepared for whatever the occasion and if that means dropping a body in the process then so be it”
Although many may be shocked by this, I was not. Unfortunately this is not the first occasion in which I have witnessed this same content from young people. I am always reminded of a quote from the film ‘we own the night’ “I would rather be judged by 12, than be carried by 6”. After I told them about that quote, they all agreed, saying that is exactly how they see it.
What would it take for you to move on from this lifestyle?
They all exchanged glances before one of the quiet ones who hadn’t yet participated in the discussion piped up: “to be honest even if I decided to go legit, I would still be in the game because like they said before we are in too deep. I would probably have to move out of London totally to actually concentrate on other things. Apart from that no way, my guard stays up 24’s.”
It is young people with this mentality that I am consistently attempting to engage with. Their loyalty to their peers and self perception as gang members forms a stumbling block from opportunities to change. Although weapons cause considerable damage, the real danger is spread through the mindset of these young people. Minor altercations can now result in a fatal shooting or stabbing, leaving yet another family with a scar that can never be healed. I attempt to get these young people to attend my consequences workshops or engage in youth activities but they refuse. However I consistently converse with them to challenge their way of thinking and provide an alternative lifestyle to the one they currently uphold.
More senseless killings
A few days after our discussion, I found out about the fatal stabbing which took the life of Kwame Ofosu-Asare (17) in Brixton. Reading the story made me angry and reminded me of the pain of losing someone. Also thinking about the family and how they will now cope with this void in their lives.
I am reminded of the period when I was doing research for my book and a man in his late 40’s said to me “do not waste your time it is inevitable, they will continue to kill each other”. I chose not to accept what he said, that can only happen if we do nothing and allow this to continue. The thing is people do not think it is their problem until something happens that affect them. The way things are anyone could be a victim.
I wrote my book Consequences to enhance my ability to spread my message to people around the country and of the young people I work with that believe in change. Thankfully I have been doing that by speaking and working in schools, at youth projects, prisons, and in the next month I will be running more consequences workshops, speaking at youth conferences in Wolverhampton, and also in Berlin.
Although I enjoy communicating, action is essential for change. Due to this I have enlisted positive young men to take charge and make an impact on someone’s life through mentoring. There seems to be an outcry when the police kill someone, while young people are killing each other every day, with a lack of effort for change and justice. One thing I learnt from my time in Los Angeles, speaking with former OG Crip gang member is to always have hope no matter how bad things may seem.
My repetition is for emphasis: everyone can play a part no matter how small.
If we strive to change mindsets, promote ambition and invest in young people then we would not need to tell them to put the knives and guns down. They would be in a position to make the right choices. This is not the time to give up, or to remain silent. A generation of future doctors, lawyers, prime ministers and teachers are wrapped up in a detrimental lifestyle of violence where innocent people are dying. Complacency cannot bring change.
It has been a year since I took four young people from our Crib youth project to Los Angeles to do a gang intervention documentary. The idea was to find out as much as we can about young people in gangs in LA and the most important thing was to find out what intervention projects where in place to tackle the gang culture. We visited Crenshaw, Inglewood, Boyle heights and we even had the opportunity to get a tour of a county jail for juvenile young people.
Since then Tobi, Mustaphar, Bobbie and Bernard have been spreading the message of their experience in LA, through the documented interviews of active gang member, former gang member, gang intervention worker, and a District attorney. The DVD London 2 LA gang intervention documentary has been watched by more that 800 people. We have also distributed more than 600 copies in the last year.
The 4 of them are now working hard to build a successful future for themselves. They will never forget their experience in Los Angeles and hope that their message in the documentary reaches many young people in the UK.
Connor is a young person I have been mentoring for a while now. Just before Christmas he came to me with an idea for a documentary he wanted to make. He was passionate about it and I told him I would help him if he could write a pitch about what he wanted to do. He has now done that, I have helped him recruit a professional team of film-makers who belief in his message and are willing to be involved in the project. His pitch is now up and running on IndieGOGO a crowd funding website, so it is now in the hands of the public if they believe in the project they can contribute to it.
Please have a look, contribute what you can, even if that making others aware of his plans.
My name is Connor Boston; I am 21 and from Hackney, East London. I have a vision I want to share with the world .I want to create a documentary that will shed light on two key issues that I find really important. I am tired of young people being demonised and generalised by being put in the same bracket. There are a minority who are involved in gangs and criminal behaviour, but it seem that no matter how much positive things that are done by young people seem like the negative by a few will over shadow the good work that is being done by the masses. What this documentary will highlight is a vast array of opinions from different professionals, politicians and most importantly the young people who are from deprived areas who are making strides to become successful. We want to tell their stories to shine some positivity to young people, giving them the opportunity to get their voices heard in hope that it will inspire others to follow suit. Like my mentor Emeka Egbuonu says “sometimes words are not enough it is the actions of your peers that can inspire you to do better.”
The first step in dealing with a problem is admitting there is a problem. Yes there is a problem with gangs, youth violence etc. This bring me onto the next key point I want to execute in this documentary ’MENTORS’, for the young people who are actively engaged in criminal behaviour and have lost their way, we want to inspire them through our actions. This is also done by sharing knowledge, one of the most effective solutions I have found out is by people who are willing to make a difference by sharing their life experiences and give that vital knowledge to a young person. In the documentary we will show how important it can be to have a positive mentor or role model who can help guide a young person to a brighter future.
We all know that they are different reasons why we have so many social ills that drive ‘some’ young people to go down the wrong path, the same way we believe there so many different solutions, this is just one, as there are many organisation and people out there who are working with or without resources to get the job done, but we need more people on the front line, instead of moaning about it to do something.
For me personally I am aspiring actor, but I have a passion to make a real difference in my community. I have a mentor Emeka Egbuonu who is showing me the way and by providing me with various opportunities. He is someone that inspires me through his work and ambition. I am currently delivering workshops and sessions with him in schools and youth clubs, delivering his positive message. He will be directing this documentary for me. As soon as I told him about the idea he was willing to help in any way that he can. Emeka has written a book called Consequences which is his message for making a difference. He also made a documentary called London to LA, a gang intervention documentary. He is willing to give his book and documentary away as an incentive to those that contribute to this project.
The aim is to create something unique, and to eventually screen it in a cinema London when completed. Making sure young people voices are heard and maybe we can have some positive news in the media about the work we would have achieved.
I have a great team who will help me bring this documentary to life.
About us:
Connor Boston Mahmout
I am an aspiring actor/rapper/songwriter from Hoxton, Hackney
that plans to take full advantage of all of the talents I am lucky enough to have been blessed with.
I am passionate about all of my endeavours, mainly music and acting.
music has been a large part of my life for as long as i can remember
and i have enjoyed acting since i first got a taste for it.
I hope to be successful in the entertainment business in some way
whether its music or theatrics, in front of or behind the stage,
and hopefully my drive & determination will one day take me there. I am currently working as a volunteer youth worker to give back to my community
Emeka Egbuonu
The author Emeka Egbuonu is a community and anti-gang worker based at the Crib Youth Project (www.thecrib.org.uk ) in Hackney. He is also one of the London Mayor’s mentors. Emeka came to east London from Nigeria aged seven. He know first hand the damage gang and youth violence can have on a community. This inspired him to dedicate himself to making life better in his community.
He has coached grassroots football team Gems FC and helped organise the Boroughs United talent contest since it began (showcasing the talents of Leona Lewis, Diversity among others). In 2009, Emeka founded the Consequences program of seminars, which equips young people with the confidence and skills to make good choices and avoid becoming involved in gangs or moving on if involved already.
Emeka was also on the frontline during the recent London riots persuading young people not to loot or get involved in criminal behaviour. Emeka is the director of the documentary London to LA, about gang intervention schemes in California. He was one of the main speakers at Birmingham City University’s Understanding the English Riots conference on 18th October 2011.
Drew Cox is not your ordinary Director. He has the unique ability to Direct and Photograph a wide range of work BUT when needs must can take on the roles of an entire production crew, confidently able to write, shoot, photograph, direct and edit – You might say DC is a production company in his own right! And he enjoys it!
Drew Cox was born and raised in South Africa, where he developed a natural interest and passion for image making and story telling. After moving to the UK to further his studies, he received a 1st class BA(Hons) in Video Production and Communication and has been working as a freelance video director and photographer on a variety of projects all around the world.
He has created work for numerous clients from Coca Cola, Nike, LBi, Marks & Spencers, Oxfam, ITV, BBC, Puma, HTC Mobiles, Mrs Jones, Universal Records, Jack Wills, Aubin&Wills, Bliss, Ignite TV, Creative Partnerships, Breast Cancer Campaign and The Natural History Museum, to a host of independent production companies, artists and musicians.
Specialising in online digital content, commercial work, filmmaking, music, fashion and documentary. His ideas focus on the original, the perceived and the new, combining technologies and different media to create exciting and innovative work in all forms of visual culture.
Adebola Ajao is a 25-year-old music video and short film producer & director. Having Graduated from the university of Bedfordshire with a 2:1 in Media Production Adebola Has gone on to set up his own production company producing music videos, short films and magazine features from his home in East london. Adebola specialises in producing content with an urban feel and a small sample of his work can be found at http://www.youtube.com/mradebolauk.
His ability to organise, and make extensive research is second to none.
Michael Ndebumadu
I grew up in Haringey north London. I’ve been writing poetry off & on since I was in college.
I studied Media Studies at Southgate College. I later went on to study a BA in Media-Writing & Production (with a 1 year module in Creative writing)
My writing lies in scripts, poems and fictional-writing. I have also written articles for other projects. My ability to do research is dependent on the topic.
I am quite able to search for relevant info either online and through books if need be; and applied the info when and when needed.
I can also take the initiative and contact individuals/organisations if there is any info which could be of any use.
I also have small experience in youth work, working with primary aged children in an after school homework club.
How the money will be spent:
Filming, and post-production
Travel
Copyright clearances for archive footage and soundtracks
Screening arrangements at a cinema
Something Emeka’s grandmother said for her contribution for to his book “No one person can do everything but everyone can do something.”
So do what you can and contribute so I can make this documentary a reality even if that is sharing this campaign.
