Networking for Young People - Interview for The Illuminator

When we think of the London riots we think of destruction, smashed windows and of flames licking the bricks of buildings until broken and scorched they crumble to the ground. As she walked around her South-London neighbourhood, Lashana Campbell saw not the ‘hooded youths’ as the papers ambiguously described them, but her neighbours and her peers, empowered by the disguise of the balaclava, taking back what they felt they were owed. In the aftermath she refused to be pigeon holed with a youth culture associated with apathy and ignorance and she adamantly rejected the title of the ‘Lost Generation’, a term thrown around by the media since last summer, angrily declaring that the term is nothing but an ‘excuse’. In the wake of such devastation, the charred ground proved fertile, and as a result of the riots, on January 31st 2012 N4YP was born into the hands of Lashana, not in London but in her new home of Berlin.

N4YP is a project that aims to create opportunities for young creatives based in London. Supplying selected individuals with the N4YP generation grant allows them to fly from London to Berlin to showcase their talents to a European audience. The generation grant is funded by events such as the recent N4YP animation festival, the first animation festival to be held in Berlin. The festival, which held screenings three times a week throughout February and March, raised enough money to fly musicians Dominic Apes (Apes) and James Tittensor (Seb Wildblood) to Berlin to play at the N4YP UK Bass Arrival Party.

We sit across the table from Lashana; softly spoken with a gentle London accent, her voice is laced with strength and genuine feeling as she speaks of her ‘passion for film and people’. Between sentences she takes a bite of käsespätzle: her favourite dish, which we are eating in her favourite restaurant. Surrounded by the luxurious rich tones and charming vintage knick-knacks of Boetzow Privat she speaks to us of N4YP, or Networking for Young People and her reasons for reaching out to London.

TI: What inspired you to start N4YP?Lashana Campbell: When high unemployment hit young people in London, I thought about starting a media site where young people could connect and help each other out in their chosen industry. Last year though when the riots were going on, that idea changed. I heard a lot of talk from people who condemned the rioters and others who tried to understand their actions. A lot of talk and no solutions, I got really frustrated at the reaction to young people and the ethnic minority community, both nationaTI: Why do you think the riots took place?

Lashana Campbell: There are a combination of reasons, there has been a long tension brewing in London, well before the riots. From the rise in education fees which make it almost impossible for someone leaving their degree to find a job, that will even make a dent in the debt, or centers like the Steven Lawrence centre being rumored to shut down because of a lack of funding, so programs that used to help kids have no support from government or it could even be the lack of control over their own lives and people go from being settled to surviving one day at a time.  However these are all theories, what the riots came down to was simply opportunity and giving into one’s materialistic desires. The position of a lot of people in London is clear, the divide between the rich and the poor is an ocean that very few successfully cross.

TI: You single out people in London as being in particular need for opportunity; why is this?Lashana Campbell: Well I come from an area of London which is described as the ‘ghetto’ a densely populated area of high crime and no prospects. But that isn’t true, every day you see people trying to make ends meet and do the best they can with what they are given, especially around people in my age group, they are fighting to get out of this vicious circle and if I can help by getting them a foot in the door, why shouldn’t I try?

TI: How would you compare the creative scenes in London and Berlin?Lashana Campbell: In London I was never really involved that much in the creative scene, but from the little I saw I knew that there were a few pop up galleries in my area that were providing spaces for young artists and a lot of other collective spaces that were working hard to promote London artists. In Berlin, I feel that even with a little you can do a lot just by being here and meeting people you never know what can happen if you just ask. I think the ‘scene’ is something that defines Berlin, a place where everything was shrouded in grey has become a blank canvas for a lot of people to express themselves.

TI: What is the N4YP Generation Grant and who can apply for it?Lasahana Campbell: The Generation Grant, allows people to apply for monetary aid, no matter what area of the creative industry they are from. For example, if a young fashion designer in the making is really talented, makes his/her clothes themselves, sells it in street markets etc and wants to go even further, they can apply for the grant. Depending on different criteria it will then be decided whether or not the person will receive the money and then an event will be planned here in Berlin for them to showcase their work.

TI: What are your plans for N4YP once the animation festival is over?

Lashana Campbell: I plan to make more music events, exhibitions and shows, which will raise more money. I also hope to collaborate this summer with another charity for AIDS in Africa. N4YP will be involved by flying a young African dance troupe from London to Berlin to come and perform at the event.lly and internationally and then when I went to a riot clean up day, I was inspired by the community there. They joined together to repair the damage that had been done. I wanted to do the same but repair the damage that had been done to the image of young people in London.

TI: What do you hope N4YP will grow to become?Lashana Campbell: I hope that N4YP will be the place that young people who want to go further can come and showcase their work on the site and be able to fly abroad with the project. I hope to fly out a lot of people from London this year to Berlin and hopefully when the 1st year passes, move onto flying people to different countries. If the project becomes an even bigger success then I can fly other young people from different countries to London by having a base in Berlin and one in London.

TI: You mention that N4YP was born from the riots in England which took place over the summer, was this an event that had a great effect on you?Lashana Campbell: My aunt’s shop was broken into while she was still inside and, for the first time in my life I was afraid of being in my own neighbourhood, for my family and friends who may be caught up in the chaos.