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Babbasa launches virtual Skills Swap Festival
A unique virtual festival designed by and for young people will provide opportunities to share experiences, boost wellbeing and attend professional workshops during lockdown.
Taking place throughout Monday, April 27 and Tuesday 28, Babbasa’s Skills Swap is aimed at those in the 13-30 age bracket from under-represented backgrounds in the city.
Organised by youth ambasssadors, the event is being produced as part of their core challenge programme, which provides participants with opportunities to develop their professional skills and leadership while supporting their local community.
“In the current crisis with schools and youth centres, and many losing jobs, we know that young people are finding daily life a huge challenge,” explains challenge programme lead Zoë Lynes, who has been working with the group of 12 to make the festival a success.
“We also know that over 74 per cent of the young people that we support are experiencing high levels of stress, anxieties and a loss of purpose. We want to provide a beam of positivity and a chance to experience new things virtually.
“Ultimately, it’s about reminding young people that there will be a world for them after the coronavirus crisis has passed and that we are here to help them with that.
“We recognise these are very challenging times, it’s become clear that communities of colour are being disproportionately affected by this pandemic, both in terms of daily living, rates of infection, economic status, and general wellbeing.
“At Babbasa, we work tirelessly to combat social injustice and promote social mobility, and our work is now more important than ever.”
Babbasa’s Ask About Me event connects young people with professionals in the city. Photo courtesy of Babbasa
The online Skill Swap Festival was created as a replacement for Babbasa’s annual event, Ask About Me, which unites 100 young people with 100 professionals, and last year saw a collaboration between the youth empowerment social enterprise and Bristol24/7.
Youth ambassador Hadi Khan said: “The young people were heartbroken when the event was called off, after spending months preparing for it and now are hugely excited to launch the skills exchange for young people online.”
Ta’ziyah Ngozi is another youth ambassador, who is creating a skills workshop for young people on drawing as part of the event.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing people’s reaction to all the hard work. We’re trying to entertain young people during lockdown, to distract them and help them to learn new things to make lockdown more enjoyable.”
https://twitter.com/Babbasahub/status/1251124293641154560
Babbasa, which recently won a prestigious Queen’s Award for enterprise, has launched an urgent appeal to help support young people affected by the pandemic.
The team is hoping to raise £60,000 through the appeal, which will provide enough funds to maintain frontline caseworkers so that they can continue to prepare less advantaged young people for work after lockdown ends. Find out more via www.babbasa.com/get-involved/beyond-covid-appeal/
Young people can sign up for the Skills Swap Festival via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/babbasas-skill-swap-the-online-festival-for-you-tickets-102945797652.
Main photo courtesy of Babbasa
Read more: Prestigious award for organisation transforming young lives in inner-city Bristol
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