Hello,
Unusually, I’m sat down on a sofa in our main building. I’m part of a small audience and we are about to witness three presentations. There is palpable sense of excitement and nervousness.
This is the culmination of the Inside Knowledge course.
For six Fridays, six of our guys have met up with six Uni of Plymouth sociology and criminology students. Each week tackling different crime related subjects from drugs to domestic violence.
My nervousness about allowing this to happen was that it could just be too challenging. I suspect unhelpfully allowing my own school days baggage into my thinking.
Would this just cause pain and setbacks to people with whom we have spent time building confidence and self-worth. You know – highly educated young folk mixing with people who very much feel/know they have missed out, stranded at the margins of society.
So basically, our guys who are deeply emersed in ‘life experience’ meeting young people who are becoming academically experienced.
It has been powerful stuff and a long way from easy. Arguments erupted, different ideas about punishment were thrown around, gratingly harsh issues were often triggering and at times too much.
But as each week has gone on confidence has increased and relationships grown. Making the exchange of knowledge to a less conscious level, as chat just flows.
From slightly stand off to warm acceptance our two groups had come together. All facilitated each week by Julie, Elli and Daniela. Who ran workshops, seminars and got the group mixing and working on their final presentations.
Back to Friday afternoon. The curtain was raised… First up a court scene. The Judge arrived and we all rose. The group lead us through a very convincing court process, prosecution, defence, and mitigation. Then the crowd became the jury, our verdict: not guilty.
Next, we were whisked off to a TV studio where Kelly’s Dilemmas was going live. Kelly the host didn’t pull her punches and the young family talking about drug use were on the ropes… By the magic of TV we were then transported ten years forward, into a world that had legalised drugs. Meeting the family and again our host got the answers. A great performance from all.
Finally, a marvellous ‘ology’ quiz show, with points making real prizes! Three comperes lead us through the Criminal Justice System with difficult and thought-provoking questions, including some relating to LandWorks. The winners were applauded as they received their chocolate prizes. But it turned out we were all recognised, and the hosts had prizes for everyone.
This rather brilliant afternoon had been observed and moderated by one of the programme leads in criminology from the University of Plymouth …. And the show came to a close with a presentation of certificates. With much cheering and hats in the air!
LandWorks always has the ability to get the best from people and never ceases to amaze me.
Chris
14th March 2024