New Shoes Live Project Update

Olivia Campbell wanted to share her New Shoes Journey with you...

When I had first started the Princes Trust fairbridge program, I expressed a keen interest in music and other creative arts so I was encouraged to attend a session where Beatfreeks, a youth engagement agency which helps young people develop their skills, networks and confidence through creativity. 

I got involved with a program called New Shoes which would focus on mental health awareness and provoking discussion by participating in and constructing workshops and events. Such as the stall we had the Social Exchange and creating our own event called Strange Fruit. Strange Fruit was produced by us, it was a project that involved telling our own personal stories around our experiences with mental health.

News Shoes has helped me grow tremendously in confidence, knowledge, musical skills and feeling more comfortable in social environments. 

There is so much I have learned in such a short space of time and feel passionate about improving the mental health system and encouraging other young people to speak up and actively seek change through different creative outlets.

Keep an eye out for what New Shoes are doing next! Book onto a workshop they are leading at The Social Exchange by clicking this link

New Shoes, Get Started: Get Moving with Melanie Morrison

This dynamic workshop merging both creative choreography and dance routines really had the crowd going. This was the first time Melanie had worked with New Shoes and it looks like she won the young people over, they said “I liked how enthusiastic Melanie was, she was a great tutor” and “she made us feel really comfortable.”

One young person, Saba, said that the workshop was challenging but fun and “the dance workshop, with the help of Melanie, allowed me to challenge myself by dancing in front of other people.”

“It was good because I got to try something new and get involved even though I am rubbish at dancing and I could still participate at my own level”

“I would never usually do something like this and it has definitely brought out some skills that I didn’t know I had”

Many members of the group commented that the activities set out in the workshop got them working together as a team, building trust and supporting each other which are skills that they can apply to everyday life as well.

A member of staff from the Princes Trust said that the workshop was “unique and people centred” – now, you can’t get much better than that, can you?

Well done Melanie and well done everyone who took part!

If you would like to take part in a New Shoes, Get Started Workshop then visit our website by clicking the link

New Shoes Get Started: Dance Workshop with Johnny Autin

I’m Tara and I am the Next Generation Project Assistant. It is usually me who writes these blogs and it is usually me who looks after the New Shoes workshops here at mac birmingham.

The reason I am telling you this is because I have seen a lot of workshops, with a lot of young people, by a lot of artists and when I saw Johnny Autin leading an intensive dance warm-up with a group of young people who didn’t look remotely interested, I thought “this is going to be interesting.”

And it was, these young people were hiding in the corners, heads down on phones at the start of the session and by the end of the session they were running up and down our dance studio with their best dance moves and lifts! The transformation in just 2 short hours was incredible.

This image was taken as part of  a project called "Pathos" by Autin Dance Theatre

It was clear when I was speaking to the group after the session that they were excited and overwhelmed by what they managed to achieve in the session, everyone was smiling. “The artist was really nice and encouraging” said one member of the group.

One young person summed up their experience by saying “I learnt new moves, I also learnt to cooperate and the teaching was good!”

Mostly the group were blown away by the fact that they learnt to lift someone as part of a dance sequence during the session but young people also explained that they learn some other things that they hadn’t bargained for too such as teamwork and communication skills.

“When I didn’t remember moves, others did, so they could help me”

To find out what other creative sessions New Shoes has to offer click here 

To find out more about Autin Dance Theatre click here 

To find out more about Manmade click here