Arun Local Strategic Partnership's work to tackle intergenerational issues

Older members of the Arun District community recently swapped their twinsets and tweeds for ‘hoodies’ to star in a hip-hop music video. Read more about how the Arun Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) has helped support a local youth centre and worked alongside other community groups to bridge the generation gap.

It’s often the case that older and younger generations have common misconceptions of each other. Older people sometimes fear young people, feeling that they are disrespectful and unruly. Similarly, many young people tend to feel misunderstood and unfairly judged by older people. They also believe they are disproportionately portrayed by the media in a negative light. 

To build better relations between the two groups, Arun District Council in the county of West Sussex has been focusing on intergenerational work within the community, as part of the 'Generations through Partners' project – funded by the Arun LSP.

One of the projects they were involved with examines generational stereotypes through creating a music video. The video, called 'Minority not Majority', was developed as part of the Gravity Project with the Pagham and Rose Green Youth Centre. This was funded by West Sussex County Council Arts and Arun District Council, through the West Sussex Arts Partnership. Age Concern West Sussex, Arun Intergenerational Project was also included to give their input on the video – produced by Compulsive Productions.

The lyrics and rap theme music for the film were composed by Jordan Alan-Phillips, a member of the youth centre. He has won the 2008 End of Pier International Festival Youth Section. The concept behind the video and song is that it is a minority of young people that cause problems. Despite this the majority is being labelled as anti-social.

To explore the common stereotypical ideals both generations have of each other they switched roles. The younger cast members dressed up in elderly clothes, while the older people involved dressed up in teenage fashions. Older members of the cast were recruited from the Pagham Parish Council, Pagham Village Hall Committee, Pagham Resident’s Association and the Age Concern Laburnum Centre – the Age Concern Day Centre in Bognor Regis.  

The initiative has led to positive outcomes in changing social attitudes and intergrating the community. Traditionally, older people have not been keen for young people to come into the Age Concern Centre in West Sussex. However, since making the DVD, older people have decided to let younger people come and visit their grandparents. In addition to this, a young person has now volunteered to teach a weekly computer skills session at the centre.

Due to the success of the video, it was used in an ITV Meridian broadcast as part of their 'Fixers' series. Included in the clip are interviews with the creators of the project and older members who acted in the video. This was filmed at the Youth Centre in Bognor Regis and includes a debate at the Laburnum Centre hosted by local presenter Fred Dinenage. This further examines the theme of generational stereotypes.

Following on from this project, Arun Council will be holding a debate between the different generations. The debate is organised by teenagers from Arun Youth Council (AYC) and more than 50 members of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Contact

Kirsten Lanchester
Arun Intergenerational Project – Age Concern
telephone: 01903 731 800
email: arunintergen@acwestsussex.org

Nikki Stenner and Jordan Alan-Phillips
Rose Green and Pagham Youth Club
telephone: 01243 264 439
email: Rose.Green.&.Pagham.Youth.centre@westsussex.gov.uk

'Minority not Majority' music video and ITV news item – on the website.

Article published December 2008