17th September 2019
Sharing below some photographs from the talk event on youth and crime we held on the 17th September 2019 at the Invention Rooms in White City.
We presented a very diverse group of panellist who shared their experiences and insights on this very important issue: Raheel Butt, who is an ex gang member, Dr.Roger Grimshaw, Research Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice, Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, investigative journalist and photographer Robin Friend.
The conversations showed different perspectives that included the raw experiences of Raheel Butt, the research of Dr. Grimshaw that points to emotional deprivation and poverty in early years’ link to aggregation to gangs, and Robin’s visual research looking at austerity measures, Brexit and lack of youth provisions as precursors of youth crime.
Once the presentations ended, we asked the public why they came to the event and that was the start of a very powerful sharing of the public’s own experiences, including their own children’ being caught in the fabric of crime, gang membership and radicalisation.
This was a very powerful talk event, matched by a strong feel of wanting to change things in the White City community, a strong fear for the future of children, and a need to connect with each other to look for solutions. The public asked to have their email shared with each other.
