Youth Vision - Ballymena
 'Youth
Vision' was a cross-community youth project based in Ballymena. The project involved young people aged between 12 and 16 years, from Waveney and Ballykeel Youth Clubs and focused on environmental and social issues in their local communities.
Ballykeel, a predominantly Protestant area and Waveney, a mixed area with an unstable population, are both areas of high social and economic need and have a number of social problems including paramilitary activity, drug use and high levels of void properties.
Throughout the project, Groundwork worked closely with the two groups to increase their awareness of environmental issues in their estates, look at solutions to the identified problems and create positive environmental improvements. The young people completed a training course in filming, produced and directed a video about their neighbourhoods, and carried out environmental improvements. They also participated in art workshops and designed a sculpture for the Ecos Environmental Centre and signage for their youth clubs.
The 'Youth Vision' project was funded through BBC’s Children In Need Grants Programme. Additional support and assistance was provided by the NEELB, Woodland Trust, Ecos Centre and McDonald’s.
Project Aims
The aims of this project were to work with young people to :
- Raise awareness of environmental issues
- Undertake local environmental improvement works
- Develop designs for art features
- Commission artwork based on the young people’s designs
- Develop self confidence & encourage cross-community contact
How we did it : Sculpture design
This project gave the young people the opportunity to design a sculpture for the grounds of the Ecos Millennium Environmental Centre in Ballymena. After a number of design workshops they came up with the unusual idea of creating a metal tree with intertwining branches which would also double as a signpost. The sign points to both Waveney and Ballykeel estates as well as the Woodland Trust’s
Keel Wood, the People’s Park and of course the Ecos Centre.
The names of the young people who were involved with the project have been incorporated into the design of the sculpture as a permanent reminder of their achievements and involvement in the project. Standing at approximately 5 metres high, it is hoped that the sign will be a prominent feature in the grounds for many years and will still be visible when the new woodland around it matures.
The site was selected as an area of common ground between the two estates, and a prominent location open to the public.
The artist was commissioned through a tender process with a number of artists invited to submit proposals for incorporating the young people’s ideas into a sculptural piece, within an indicative budget. Proposals were assessed by the project partners (Ballymena Borough Council & the Woodland Trust) and Groundwork, and a contract specifying timescale, budget, agreed design, insurance, and so on was drawn up.
The key thing that had to be negotiated was public liability insurance & responsibility for the finished piece.
Key learning points
- Agree a design brief
- Consider health & safety; maintenance & insurance
liability
- Draw up an artist’s contract to help avoid misunderstandings or future
problems
Top Tips
- Work in partnership – get other organisations involved from the start, to build support for the project
and help ensure that potential issues are considered and dealt with before they become
problems
- Involve young people in developing designs – to develop ownership
and innovative ideas
- Invite proposals from several artists – to keep options open
Participant Quote
Ecos Centre Manager Billy Reid commented
"The Ecos centre has been involved throughout the ‘Youth Vision’ project and we are delighted that the young people chose to site their sculpture here. The sculpture contains recycled materials and has a galvanised finish therefore fits in perfectly with the surroundings and ethos of Ecos. We hope that this sculpture will be the first of many along the pathways around the
centre."
Further details
Commissioners
- Ballymena Borough Council
- The Woodland Trust
Artist
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