(Above) Ruth Ibegbuna, leader of the Reclaim project for Urbis, spoke of her pride after the scheme won a Phillip Lawrence award. © Urbis, Reclaim
When exhibition centre Urbis launched mentoring programme Reclaim with 45 boys from Manchester’s Moss Side in October last year, few would have predicted anything beyond an uphill struggle for the organisers.
Most museums and galleries have an important role to play in galvanising the positive aspects of seemingly unpromising communities, but actively confronting an area labelled as synonymous with the rise of street violence and negative perceptions of youth culture looked as bold an endeavour as it did potentially difficult.
The youth group has enjoyed enormous success. © Urbis, Reclaim
A year on, the project has enjoyed such acclaim that the focus has switched to recreating its success with a range of new groups.
Last week a fleet of young participants from the scheme collected £1,000 and a Philip Lawrence Award at a swanky London ceremony in recognition of the strides it has made in tackling youth crime and revitalising public attitudes towards the young people involved.
Performance is an important part of the project. © Urbis, Reclaim
“The boys weren’t nervous in the slightest,” laughs Ruth Ibegbuna, Director of Learning and Community at Urbis and leader of the Reclaim project, when asked whether such an occasion might have been intimidating.
“The one thing our project has taught them is how to walk tall and deal with adults, so to see them on stage was fantastic.”
Mentors aim to inspire participants. © Urbis, Reclaim
Ibegbuna and Reclaim are no strangers to praise – she won the Manchester Evening News Peace Activist award this year for her efforts with the group, which in turn earned a National Crimebeat Award in September.
“I think that a lot of people were very surprised that we were doing that kind of work,” she says, more confounded by the support Reclaim has received than its productivity.
Hazel Blears receives the Reclaim manifesto from Ruth Ibegbuna. © Urbis, Reclaim
“Across Manchester people are really supporting these boys, even to the degree that on the way back from London they were allowed to travel first class because the train manager was so proud of them.
"This sort of thing happens all the time – restaurants give us free food, and they’re really held up as something special.”
Girls from the project with their manifesto. © Urbis, Reclaim
Such stories make the inevitable cagey reception Reclaim receives from some quarters worthwhile.
“Obviously launching a project with predominately black boys from high crime areas at a time when everyone’s very concerned about youth crime…it was immediately labelled as a gang and gun crime project when in actual fact it’s a leadership project."
Sir Trevor McDonald presents the Reclaim winners with their award. © Gary Manhine
"A by-project of that is keeping these boys out of gangs, but that isn’t the aim – I didn’t like the fact that some people might have thought these boys were potential criminals.”
Reclaim ventures have included assisting the fire service. © Urbis, Reclaim
The participants are considered “junior members” of staff by the team at Urbis, which plays a hands-on role in the project, even employing some of the participants when they are old enough.
“The boys are very comfortable there – they do administration, they support us, they come to meetings with us,” says Ibegbuna, who feels museums and exhibition centres have a vital role to play in developing young people.
A group visit to London. © Urbis, Reclaim
“They can be that neutral ground between statutory agencies such as schools and local authorities. I think that it’s very easy to work in a gallery and talk about community engagement and youth participation. They’re the buzzwords that every funding application will reach for immediately."
"It’s much more difficult to really make young people and people from challenging communities part of what you do and make them know that they are welcome in your work place and to contribute towards what you do.”
Reclaim fashion show at Urbis - part of the project's aim to encourage young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem. © Urbis, Reclaim
Ibegbuna’s latest project is with 30 girls aged between 12 and 14, recreating the anti-violence manifesto the boys formulated with a theme of self-respect this time.
They have also recorded music videos, trained with the fire service, lobbied politicians and set up business training. A symbol of the potential galleries have to drive social change, their latest challenge is where to put all those awards.
