Interactive experience What about me? is a "Call to action for us to do more for young people"

What About Me?, an immersive art project in Salford, featuring the voices and stories of the city’s young people, presented through audio, film and photography, has taken place in Parr Fold Park.

It let participants to vicariously experience an honest and truthful conversation with the youth of Salford, hearing their unfiltered opinions about the place they call home.

Commissioned by Greater Manchester Arts and Salford Community Leisure (SCL), ‘What about me?’ was delivered by Breaking Barriers with funding from the GMCA Culture Programme. Working alongside young aspiring artists from Salford.

With lights on the headphones worn by participants flashing, and the group marching across the park, the intro began to play loudly. The sound of kids saying their names and the area of Salford that they are from echoed in the ears as the light show began.

As the group made their way around the trail, children explained their favourite things about Salford and recalled their experience of the area, memories from their childhood and what rings true to them.

Kids explain their favourite things about Salford and their personal experiences in the local area, explaining moments and memories from their childhood and what rings true to them.

Jodie Ratcliffe, executive producer, said: “We’ve been making this event with young people and with partners for nearly two years now. So when it actually came to putting the event on, we just could not wait to do it” she said “We were just so eager to share with the people of Salford and everybody that’s made this and the local community”.

As the walk progressed and the light show burst into life, stories were told about the kids relationship with nature in the City. Some praised the city’s living environment, while others expressed frustration about living away from green spaces and hatred for loud cars.

Jodie said, “It’s gorgeous to hear the kids’ voices come together. We’ve been recording those voices from hundreds of young people, from different sessions around Salford. So we went to youth clubs, schools and youth zones”.

The walk continued an honest, revealing conversation took place with the children as they explained their anxieties about the local area, one child explaining, “Sometimes I get worried walking around the park and seeing sketchy people and that they might have a knife.” And another child explained the racism he faces and the bullying he endures due to his skin colour.

Jodie said: “I like the comparison between the really funny moments, like the favourite shop, Nisa, and not knowing what Nisa is, in comparison to the reality and the hard truths of what it is like to be a young person in Salford at the moment. I think it’s just a letter to us, really. It’s a call to action for us to do more for our young people. So for me, I loved them two elements together.”

As the walk came to a climax, an edited video of the kids explaining what they want to be when they grow up was projected onto the grandstand. “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor because I want to help people,” a voice sounded.

Whereas some children explain that they want to move out of Salford, but some want to stay.

Finally, a crescendo of voices overlayed with an awe-inspiring video brought together the best and the worst of Salford “If Salford were a person, it would be nice and friendly,” one said.

Headphones were filled with music and a truthful, honest and revealing poem about being proud of Salford.

Reflecting on the success of the immersive experience and outlining here aspirations for the future of the ‘What about me?’ project, Jodie said:

“We want to continue to work with the younger company, so we are able to employ young emerging artists from Salford. We will continue to work with Salford community leisure and we hope there is a digital legacy of this piece as well, where we can put the sound pieces and the films online so more people can experience it”.

“Community means this. It means coming out in the dark in a park, wearing all of your clothes and your hats and bringing the dogs and your children, your grandad and bringing people together from all walks of life that wouldn’t usually come together, but come into a community space like a park that is the heart of a community and experiencing something together”.