Voluntary Youth Manchester (VYM) are developing an exciting participation project to enable young people aged 13-25 to be involved in all elements of designing and making a creative and interactive magazine, for, and about young people.
It is a youth led project whereby young people will take the leading role in all the decisions and will have the opportunity to contribute to the project through journalism, editing, filmmaking, blogging, publishing, designing, advertising and distributing to name a few, and thus acquire a range of practical skills. There will also be a few volunteering opportunities throughout the project.
As part of a pilot for the project, 4 youth groups in Manchester created a magazine of their own and these were launched at the AGM early in July. VYM are in the process of distributing these magazines around Manchester. From the feedback and evaluation of the pilot project VYM are now taking this project forward to create a quarterly youth magazine with a specific branding, name and logo and it is likely each edition will focus on a different theme chosen by young people, the aim being to create a cult magazine that young people want to be a part of, collect and read.
The first step is to engage young people from different organisations who might want to get involved in any manner or form, and then a wider consultation throughout the city with regards to branding and content will take place soon after.
VYM would like young people aged 13-25 that you work with, to know about the project, and for them to be directed direct them to their facebook page where the young people can like the project, and fill in the survey to tell VYM what they want, their Manchester Youth magazine to be called. There is lots of options on there and space for new suggestions as well.
To get involved look up Youth participation project VYM on Facebook and @VolYouthMcrMag to follow the project on twitter.