Waqar
Ahmed
IN CONVERSATION
BEYOND LABELS 2016, HYNDBURN. A CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE HOLLINS, SPOKEN WORD POETS – YOUNG IDENTITY, MUSIC PRODUCER - YUSUF M’RABTY AND FILM MAKERS - SEAL FILMS
PHOTOGRAPHER SaQUIB CHOUDREY
Waqar is a senior leader in cultural education, facilitator, and extended services co-ordinator at The Hollins. With over 17 years’ experience Waqar has been responsible for developing ground-breaking and innovative creative platforms that allow young people as well as the wider community to experience and access high quality arts that result in transformative creative content.
In 2016 Super Slow Way worked with Waqar Ahmed and The Hollins in Accrington to connect young men with artists to allow them to explore their creativity through contemporary art forms as a vehicle for self-expression and self-exploration.
Through a series of workshops with Reece Williams, Nicole May and Keisha Thompson, members of Young Identity poetry cooperative in Manchester, the group created spoken word poetry that gave voice to their lives from their hopes and dreams to their anxieties and fears and everything in between.
Here Waqar Ahmed, project leader talks about the project, how it came about and his ongoing creative work with young people.
BEYOND LABELS 2016, HYNDBURN. A CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE HOLLINS, SPOKEN WORD POETS – YOUNG IDENTITY, MUSIC PRODUCER - YUSUF M’RABTY, PHOTOGRAPHER - SAQUIB CHOUDHRY AND FILM MAKERS - SEAL FILMS
PHOTOGRAPHER SAQUIB CHOUDRY
How would you describe your job at The Hollins? You work very creatively, is it specifically an art curriculum post?
My working title at The Hollins is Extended Services Co-ordinator, it’s not an art specific post and my role predominantly involves developing services, partnerships and enrichment programmes that lead to improved outcomes for young people both within and outside the school curriculum.
I’m blessed with the fact that I have been given a considerable amount of autonomy in my role which has allowed me to focus more on arts and culture based initiatives. This is not an accident but a deliberate direction, not only because I have a personal interest in the arts but, having worked in the education sector (both formally and informally) for over 15 years, I have personally seen the transformative impact that arts and culture-based programmes can have on young people.
having worked in the education sector (both formally and informally) for over 15 years, I have personally seen the transformative impact that arts and culture-based programmes can have on young people
In 2009, I established the Cohesion through Creativity initiative with the aim of making high quality arts and cultural education more accessible to all young people at the school. In 2014, I went on to establish our multi-award winning www.beyondlabels.co.uk programme, which used spoken word poetry as a vehicle for self-expression and self-exploration.
Since 2009 we have collaborated with a wide range of practitioners, artists and arts based organisations to deliver innovative and ground-breaking projects resulting in powerful and positive creative content.
I have also recently taken on the role of Specialist Practitioner in Education, specialising in culture and character education for the East Lancashire Teaching School Alliance as well as becoming a Specialist Leader in Cultural Education.
How did the Beyond Labels project start? What was your intention?
Labels affect the way we perceive ourselves and young people start defining themselves through these labels which can hinder their economic, social, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. I wanted to create a platform that allowed young people to explore who they truly are and to openly express their hopes, fears and aspirations.
The Beyond Labels project became our spoken word platform with the primary aim of allowing young people to use creativity as a means of rejecting the labels given to them and taking it upon themselves to embrace all aspects of who they are, without fear of judgement.
Our first project was titled Beyond Labels: Extraordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things, involving 17 young girls exploring the prejudices that young women are faced with. This then led on to our second instalment in the series, Beyond Labels; In Young Men’s Shoes, which was supported by Super Slow Way. The participants sum up the project really well with an extract from their poem:
With these labels the world destroys our confidence
But what if we decided to design our own brands to wear?
And advertised our identity proudly
Then we would use labels to build and not destroy.
(Beyond Labels Group Poem)
The Beyond Labels project became our spoken word platform with the primary aim of allowing young people to use creativity as a means of rejecting the labels given to them and taking it upon themselves to embrace all aspects of who they are, without fear of judgement.
BEYOND LABELS, Extraordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things, HYNDBURN. A CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE HOLLINS
PHOTOGRAPHER Abdul Salek
How did Super Slow Way help you develop the idea? What did we bring to the project?
Super Slow Way’s involvement in the Beyond Labels project was undoubtedly beneficial. Firstly, they nurtured our ambition. I still remember Laurie looking at my first proposal and asking me to be more ambitious and not to be afraid to propose what we really wanted to achieve with the project. I was initially taken aback but she was so right!
Secondly, they gave us time. Participants were able to fully absorb each art form because we were given the time. The boys were also able to develop lasting relationships and organically grow throughout the project. For 18 months, they lived and breathed Beyond Labels before eventually sharing their creative content with the rest of the world. It’s very rare that you are given these opportunities and this amount of time on a single project.
Importantly, being involved with an organisation like Super Slow Way and having access to their expertise gave the project a bigger platform and a greater reach.
What was the initial response of the group to the idea?
The core response was what we had initially expected; they were a group of young boys who had very little experience and little interest in the arts so were naturally very apprehensive and some even asked what spoken word poetry was.
If I’m honest, my biggest fear was would they last the duration of the project? It required an 18-month commitment and I was worried. Interestingly, when we pitched the project to the students what really resonated with them was the fact that the project was not going to be limited to the four walls of the classroom. All 11 participants had their own individual stories and life experiences and knowing that, besides bringing about change within themselves they could potentially become the catalyst for change in others, excited them which surprised me as I thought this would have intimidated them the most.
knowing that, besides bringing about change within themselves they could potentially become the catalyst for change in others, excited them which surprised me as I thought this would have intimidated them the most.
BEYOND LABELS 2016, HYNDBURN. A CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE HOLLINS, SPOKEN WORD POETS – YOUNG IDENTITY, MUSIC PRODUCER - YUSUF M’RABTY, PHOTOGRAPHER - SAQUIB CHOUDHRY AND FILM MAKERS - SEAL FILMS
PHOTOGRAPHER SAQUIB CHOUDHRY
I believe the boys hadn't worked with artists before. How did they respond? Was there a particular 'break-through' moment with the group, or for specific individuals?
We worked with some fantastic young and diverse artists who could easily relate to the participants. The workshops were also delivered at a steady pace which gave scope for effective collaboration, dialogue and for positive relationships to develop.
A key break-through moment came after the first phase of the project; after having spent 3 months in a classroom producing poetry they eventually ventured out. Spending days at the Contact Theatre in Manchester, recording an original soundtrack to accompany their poems, filming in and around Hyndburn and Manchester and producing empowering photography. I think at this point they realised this is the ‘real deal’.
We did experience many challenges too but I felt this made the group stronger rather than weaker. There was one particular incident when we left the comfort of the classroom for a workshop at the Wonder Inn in Manchester where one of the participants struggled with the format and refused to engage. It was dawning on him that, at some point, they were going to have to lay themselves bare to the wider community. Understandably, it was daunting but at this stage of the programme every participant was pivotal to the project. We couldn’t afford to lose anyone.
I remember for two weeks I kept my distance to allow him to reflect and think things through without feeling pressured. Then we bumped into each other in the school corridor and, without me saying anything he just said, ‘don’t worry I’m going to finish the project’. For me personally this was a very powerful moment. It would have been understandable if he had walked away, it’s not easy sharing your feelings, emotions and your fears with the rest of the world. He chose not to walk away. His return uplifted the rest of the group and they became a much stronger and committed team.
It would have been understandable if he had walked away, it’s not easy sharing your feelings, emotions and your fears with the rest of the world.
Did the project develop in ways you may not have anticipated?
We had a loose sense of direction and we also knew the art forms that we were going to be ‘playing’ with, other than that, we didn’t prescribe anything. We wanted it to be a very holistic and raw process which led to the project developing in ways perhaps we didn’t anticipate.
We definitely didn’t anticipate the project continuing beyond two years but, owing to its success and impact, it continued for a further 3 years. The boys performed at Liverpool Cathedral to a crowd of 600 and delivered a number of performances and workshops across the region to young people and adults.
What do you see as its key successes and achievements?
It was satisfying to see the boys’ hard work being recognised locally, regionally and nationally. The programme went on to win the North West Cultural Education Award in 2018, the Educate Awards’ ‘Wow! Recognition Award’ in 2017, SLYNC Awards 2017 and The Diana Award in 2017. They also featured on CBBC Newsround.
Above all, the key success has been that we managed to bring together this group of diverse and brave young men; allowing them to gain access to and to engage with high quality artists which allowed them to perceive the world in new ways, to make connections and develop a greater understanding of who they are, as well as further developing their sense of curiosity, adventure and imagination.
Their journey and personal growth is nothing short of magical and I humbly gasp with pride at their amazing anthology of work.
Their journey and personal growth is nothing short of magical and I humbly gasp with pride at their amazing anthology of work.
Did the project have any impact more broadly in school, beyond the group itself?
The success of the project also allowed us to challenge conventional approaches to teaching, including using the Beyond Labels model for a curriculum-based project. Working collaboratively with the English Department we launched This Is Me, a spoken word project taking place during English lessons over a full academic term, with teachers acting as facilitators and giving participants the relevant creative space to develop relevant content. This once again proved to be an effective strategy and learners excelled during the process.
As a school, we have always strongly advocated and championed the arts but the impact of the Beyond Labels project was different; spoken word poetry and our Beyond Labels platform became a very identifiable and celebrated brand within the school. I’m regularly told by other students when the next project is starting, “we want to be a part of it!”
As a school, we have always strongly advocated and championed the arts but the impact of the Beyond Labels project was different; spoken word poetry and our Beyond Labels platform became a very identifiable and celebrated brand within the school.
BEYOND LABELS AT THE EDUCATE AWARDS 2018 HYNDBURN. A CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE HOLLINS, SPOKEN WORD POETS – YOUNG IDENTITY, MUSIC PRODUCER - YUSUF M’RABTY, PHOTOGRAPHER - SAQUIB CHOUDHRY AND FILM MAKERS - SEAL FILMS
PHOTO credit the educate awards
The award winning team behind Beyond Labels have recently launched the third instalment of the project, 'Beyond Labels: The Unified Generation' find out more here.
WITH THANKS TO ALL THE ARTISTS INVOLVED:
Spoken Word Facilitators: Reece Irvin Williams, Nicole May & Kiesha Thompson - Young Identity
Music Producer/ facilitator: Yussuf M’Rabty – Young Identity
Photographer/ facilitator: Saquib Choudhry
Film Production/ Facilitator: Nick Farrimond
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