Thanks to Postcode Neighbourhood Trust lottery funding, as part of our 2025 Festival we were able to commission a special project engaging young people in an underserved area of Huddersfield. The project was a series of art and poetry/rap workshops ending with a performance.
Mic Champs workshops
Local musician and rapper Joel Simmy, who designed and runs the Mic Champs programme of workshops,
Engagement with young people
The project was a big success in terms of engagement – Benaiah and Joel encouraged more than the initial sign-up members to take part and the end performance had an audience of 30+ young people viewing the visual art made by the participants and watching the raps performed by four of the participants. These were Kordae (13), Oliver (14), John-Michael (13) and Malcolm (13). A big thank you to Tashan Gabriel, the Director and Head Coach who provided the space and opportunity for this to take place.
The performers
Kordae (13) delivered a poem/rap about immigration, a subject he chose because his parents taught him to be aware of the issue and their connection to the Windrush generation. He enjoyed taking part in the project and said that it encouraged him to think and talk about the past, such as the things his grandma and grandad told him about when he was younger. He said: “I’d definitely like to do something like this again.”
John-Michael (13) chose to present a poem/rap about heritage because of the Congolese background of his parents, who encouraged him to be aware of his own family heritage, and to reference the current conflict in the country. He took part in the project because he liked poetry, but hadn’t had a similar opportunity before. He said: “The project inspired me and boosted my confidence.”
Malcolm (13) created a poem/rap about life lessons. He had recently learned that one important thing in his life he needed to change was to focus on himself and just two or three close friends, as he’d had negative experiences engaging with wider groups. He said: “When I heard there was going to be a rap workshop, I said let me join, so I can make my mum and other relatives proud. This is the first time I’ve come across this kind of opportunity but I’d love to do something like this again. I’ve been listening to music since I was a kid and I love rapping.”
Oliver (14) performed a poem/rap about the environment, a subject he felt was important. “I wanted to get across the struggles and things that happen that are not told on the news.” It’s the first time he has been involved with a project like this and said that he gained confidence doing it, especially as a lot of people from his class at school were in the audience. When asked if he’d like to do it again, he said: “Yes, absolutely.”
Guidance from experienced tutors
In addition to guiding the creative output, Joel used his skills to devise a supportive and positive atmosphere in which everyone felt they could create and perform.
Joel said: “Delivering this creative writing workshop in Ashbrow (HD2) was vital, as the area is deprived of resources and opportunities, with a strong presence of gang activity that can easily pull boys into vulnerable life experiences they may later regret. The workshop provided a safe space to explore what it means to be masculine in 2025, encouraging self-expression through writing and art as a way to stay true to themselves. The boys were curious and engaged throughout, and the project supported the development of their confidence, communication, and cognitive skills, while giving me the opportunity to help them express their unique voices with pride and authenticity.”
Benaiah said: The boys got right into the workshop without any hesitation, and their enthusiasm was contagious. More boys kept joining throughout the session, and in total, we had about 12 participants. They created some really beautiful artwork, and their engagement was amazing. One of the coolest parts was how seamlessly they combined physical activity with creativity, doing calisthenics and then jumping back into drawing continuously. We spoke about their creativity, backgrounds, cultures and the importance of knowing more about these elements of themselves. They asked a lot of great questions about my creative practice, and the time just flew by. By the end, they were all asking if I’d be coming back next week!”
