Way Into Work: Being a consistent ally in the lives of Young People in the Youth Justice Service seeking Professional Development. 

It’s always quite lovely, getting to the Southwark Youth Justice Service (YJS) and seeing the same staff faces re-embrace the Bubble team. No introduction is given, our long-standing partnership with the Southwark YJS comes with over 8 years of delivering regular theatre-based projects for the young people engaged with the service looking to kick-start and develop their professional careers. In the October half-term we again delivered ‘Way Into Work’ – a programme focussing on career readiness, helping young people to think about the possible next steps in their professional development after, and even throughout education. 

Being a constant and familiar face is vital to the work we do. In remaining a consistent connection with the service, senior staff at Southwark YJS get to see the impact our projects have on their young people, allowing them to incorporate the programme into their wider YJS strategy. It enables us to be kept up to date with the needs of the young people, so that our project delivery remains targeted, relevant and relatable. It allows us to work closer with the many other services working in partnership with the YJS such as St Giles Trust, creating a more united, holistic approach to supporting young people. It means that case managers recognise us and have a better understanding of the projects we run so that they may easily refer their young people to our workshops knowing that we will explore their ideas, challenge their existing opinions, and open the door to further discussion and deeper engagement.  

Though our freelance delivery team may change, Bubble activity and the way we work, remains the same: 

Youth Led & Person Centred: One size never fits all as each group has its different needs, preferences and learning styles. We are flexible in our facilitation approach. We find ways where each young person can feel comfortable to engage and contribute to the workshops, working hard to make every young person feel seen and heard. Their views matter, and their interests drive the direction of the work we deliver, giving them a real sense of ownership over the project.  

Creative Methods Equals Fun: We are a theatre company first and foremost, so it’s no surprise we use characters and storytelling in all our sessions. Not only is it more engaging, but the use of character allows for a creative distance to be held where young people can draw on their own experiences and emotions without having to talk directly about themselves.  

We also like to have fun! Games and activities break down barriers to engagement, lower inhibitions, ensures everyone in the room is taking part on equal footing and for a few hours it turns the YJS into a place focussed on creativity rather than court orders.  

Nothing is Taboo, Nobody is an Expert: There are too many settings where discussing certain subjects or airing particular opinions are deemed unhelpful or inappropriate and so are shut down. What some leaders fail to understand is that without a space for these topics to be heard and challenged, young people don’t have access to alternative perspectives. Therefore, as a rule, we don’t table discussions and refuse to see anything as taboo. We create a respectful space where nobody is the expert, but everyone’s views are equally valid and open to fair challenge. In many cases, we will use theatre to step into the shoes of others and explore a situation from all angles.  

These are only some of the principles and codes of practice we use across all our projects that have a profound impact on the lives of the people we serve.

With Way Into Work, we take pride in the short and longer term impacts the programme presents. As we practice interview skills and speaking positively about themselves and their skillset, the young people at the YJS become more resilient and self-aware of their own strengths, feelings and career interests. This results in many of the young people feeling ready to take advantage of new opportunities in education and employment.

As stated in our 2021 ‘Creating Justice Programme’ final evaluation report, “Some young people reported having greater confidence to engage in other areas of their life due to taking part in London Bubble [Way Into Work] sessions, like at school, college or in the workplace. For some who had been out of mainstream education for a while, the London Bubble experience made them feel better prepared to return.”

It is a huge honour to know that many of the young people we work with will walk away with a feeling of pride, having achieved something positive in their encounter with us. And being consistent is important for the young people themselves, especially when so many cannot always find this stability in their everyday lives. Whether we have one person in the room or twelve, we turn up ready to deliver a fun and engaging workshop, recognising the worth in every interaction.  

At London Bubble our aim is to make theatre from the stories that matter to our community to create a fairer society. We care about creativity, connection and community, and after being at Southwark YJS to run Way into Work, for yet another term, I think it’s clear that another C – Consistency – is key to making sure we truly reach this aim. 

(To protect the safety and privacy of the young people we support, all images in this article are stock photos ©Canva.)

Written by Natalie Clarke, Senior Producer. 

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