Autumn is upon us and with its arrival comes the promise of fresh experience and previous knowledge gleaned from previous MAS LAB projects.
We are delighted to point you in the direction of experts who recently supported World Peace Day events on 21st September in the day time at Kidderminster College and in the evening at Wolverhampton Methodist Church with the Inspire You event.
MAS LAB will keep raising broader questions – what, after all, are the issues and how can we help to reduce serious youth violence and knife crime in our areas?
Leading criminologist Ross Deuchar and the Ubuntu Round Table leaders will be guiding us through the next stage to reinforce our future projects.
FEATURES
'PEACE IS POSSIBLE'
The Mas Lab World Peace Day event at Kidderminster College was a great success, as were its sister events; the pilot Peace Cruise along Wolverhampton’s canals and the Inspire You Peace Concert held in the iconic Darlington Street Methodist Church in Wolverhampton. Featuring music and speakers from all around the world and with nearly one thousand attendees these events united interfaith and secular groups and individuals from across the Midlands under the banner “Peace Is Possible”.
Mas Lab and Kidderminster College partnership development activity since the Migrant X event in February has encompassed visits to London, Croydon, Manchester, Derby, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley by those who took the “lets join the dots up and make a real difference” sentiment seriously and began working together.
These visits took in University seminars, peace conferences, community safety meetings, MP and councillor meetings, as well as hours of telephone and email communication which brought together a host of passionate people focused on making their communities safer through promoting Dignity, Peace and Prosperity.
Speakers at the Peace Day events featured Leslie Fairclough and youngsters from the Steven Biko Saturday Club, along with Todd Maforimbo, now actively engaged with Inspire You and working to offer similar youth services across the Dudley borough.
Other speakers included leading criminologist Ross Deuchar and Ubuntu Round Table leaders and joint founders of Youth Futures, Mark Murray and Blair Kirk-Adderley. All of these new friends are keen to work with MAS LAB again.
OUT & ABOUT
October is a busy month for Mas Lab Partnership Manager David Shuck, with the Hope Festival, a celebration of Mental Health Well-being, in Nuneaton on October 12th and 13th at the Abbey Theatre, Pool Bank Street, Nuneaton CV11 5DB and a Food for People fundraiser in Weston Super Mare, also on the 13th October.
PARTNERSHIPS
Last month's World Peace Day events have seen MAS LAB collaborating with some great new partners:
The Tutu Foundation / Youth Futures, currently conducting round tables across London and partly funded by Mopac, are discussing bringing their programme to the Midlands. Mas Lab and Kidderminster College partnership activities to date have promoted participation in that process.
Ubuntu Round Tables are a joint venture between the Tutu Foundation and Youth Futures; a small independent charity set up by a young fifteen-year old (Mark Murray) in Brixton, London ten years ago; and Mas Lab hope to see them playing their part helping to reduce serious youth violence and knife crime in the Region before too long.
Ubuntu; "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity."
Following the three recent Mas Lab, Kidderminster College and Inspire You Peace events, interest has been expressed by Police and Community representatives for further meetings to discuss joint initiatives.
PROJECTS
If you are viewing this Clipboard in an email you may not know that it is now also hosted on the brand new MAS LAB website.
Thanks to our friends at MAS Records we have been able to take the message online where you will now be able to find out about our mission, our team, our partners and our events/activities as well as read our regular Clipboards.
SHARED GROUP PROJECT
I think we all agree that the Green Space Grow Room now in the foyer at Kidderminster College brings new life and creates the right environment where we all have happy, healthy and active lives.
The Grow Room makes our college a more attractive and vibrant place where students and staff can sit inside and unwind, encouraging us to come together creatively in an indoor setting.
A big thank you to MAS LAB artists Hetty and Mari Randle for all of their work in connecting people to green therapy with such a beneficial effect on our wellbeing.
MAS LAB OPINIONS
Email us - send links on issues faced in everyday society - support local writing/writers.
This month Martin Wall will be speaking to Kidderminster College Librarian and Archivist Lisa Laurson about material for our 140th anniversary celebration coming up in March 2020.
Martin Wall is author of 'Warriors & Kings' and 'The Anglo-Saxon Age - A Magical History of Britain'.
LIVE EVENTS
What's going on out there?
Brexit How Likely Is a No Deal Exit? - Panel of Guardian writers
Tuesday 8th October: 7pm - 8:30pm - Greenwood Theatre, London
LGRTQ Rights at Work with Owen Jones
Tuesday 8th October: 7pm - 8:30pm - SamsungKX, London, N1C 4DQ
Guardian Live presents: Arlo Parks
Friday 25th October: 8pm - 9.30pm - SamsungKX, London, N1C 4DQ
Sir Trevor McDonald in Conversation
Monday 11th November: 7pm - 8:30pm - Kings Place, London
Introduction to arts in prisons: Training Course Monday 11th November: 10am - 4pm - Manchester
Book Now (From £75)
Arts in criminal justice media training - with the Prison Radio Association Wednesday 27th November: 10am - 4pm - Birmingham
Book Now (From £75)