Disruption: BAME youth are their own innovators in the arts

By Shaun Danquah

In 2019, at a round table, someone said to me: “The creative and digital industries are the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy. Why aren’t there enough 16-24 BAME young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in these industries?”

To me, this was a question that had been asked for at least the previous 20 years, and it was – and has always been – the wrong question. The most fruitful question to ask is not “What are these young people not doing?” Instead, we should be exploring what they are doing, and the equity of their activities and culture. A new generation of BAME young people are transcending boundaries through technological advancements and cultural nuances that are not captured by traditional creative industries. This young, diverse generation is trading in a particular ‘social currency’, owing to advancements in communications, informal social entrepreneurship and street corner innovation.  In short, a whole swathe of young people do not need to engage in the traditional creative industries, because they are doing it for themselves.

‘We just see a dimension they don’t see…’

From my existing research and my work in the community, I have developed some encouraging and exciting insights: many young people are engaged in behaviours, attitudes, activities and cultures which bear many similarities to the kind of “disruptive” competencies which are lauded, celebrated and encouraged across the creative and digital sectors. The problem is not that young people don’t have what the creative and digital sectors need, the problem is that the sectors aren’t seeing what is there.

‘We are the brand and we, therefore, shape the brand. These institutions need to follow us and recognise our value. We don’t need to fit into theirs any more, they don’t know they better get to know’ 

Born in the age of creative disruption, and often learning directly online from world-famous entrepreneurs and businesspeople (Basquiat, Dapper Dan), many young people from BAME backgrounds have managed to drive their own innovations and business concepts with little input from major players within the creative industries. By using their entrepreneurial spirit, they are achieving results through their own ingenuity and creativity, often in response to socio-economic realities that require increasing resourcefulness. Creating their own high-impact solutions and often operating with low budgets, these ‘invisible creatives’ may not possess degrees from prestigious institutions, but they do demonstrate astoundingly shrewd creativity. 

‘Our survival is part of our creativity’

I have seen in my own work over the last 15 years that precisely the kind of young people who are the objects of ‘official’ concern are often incredibly skilful street corner innovators. An empty belly is a creative mind, I have very often found. They demonstrate immense entrepreneurship and adaptivity but under the radar. 

It is no surprise, then, that when given the opportunity, big corporates have seen the value that this can bring to their work. I’ve been involved in a number of projects brokering relationships between big corporates and young people: 

It was no coincidence that, in 2010, young people from socially deprived neighbourhoods across Stockwell provided training at YouTube’s Head Office in Dublin on request from the San Francisco team. The young people deconstructed violent video clips, bringing their wealth of street culture knowledge to help YouTube tackle this problem. This project was in response to gang-related murders that were taking place across South London, partly as a result of uncensored rival gang footage that was being posted on YouTube. 

It was no coincidence that the Barclaycard Picture Card originates with a group of young men from Clapham Park estate in South London. The concept was based around the sense of ownership and identity that personalised cards can engender and had a big influence on Barclays bank and IDEO innovation change. 

It was no coincidence that Google and the youth of Stockwell developed a series of disruptive communication and marketing sessions at Google with the senior Google staff team on transferable skills, branding and corporate communication. The principle consultant at Google creative during that time commented that they had not come across such awareness and innovation even amongst their own communication team.

‘We generate ideas based on our circumstance, remember our survival is another man’s innovation’

But this only scratches the surface. There is so much more that the social sector, the digital and creative industries, and – most importantly – our young people, can gain from the affinities and connections that these projects began to explore. I describe this as authentic social brokerage, an essential piece of joining the dots, creating value and alignment for both parties. Another good example of what can be achieved in this is the success of Jamal Edwards in brokering a partnership with the Department of Education, based on the principle of recognising and working with the cultural equity of BAME young people.

So let’s stop asking why there aren’t “enough” young people from BAME backgrounds in the creative and digital industries, as if these young people suffer from some kind of deficits and dysfunctions that prevent their participation. Instead, let’s reframe this discussion and ask more fruitful questions:

-        How can we better understand the competencies and cultural equity that young people have?

-        How can we build relationships and connections with young people who demonstrate these skills?

-        How can better understand how to appeal to these young people, to harness the skills and the attitudes they already have – especially given the potential pull and the perceived lucrativeness of alternative, illicit activities? Do traditional working practices need to be adapted to what these young people bring? Are we trying to push circles into square pegs? 

-        What can corporate creative and digital industries offer to young BAME people, in return for their insights and innovation?

As Head of Engagement at TSIP, in partnership with A New Direction and Makeshift, I’m at the start of a journey to unpick this further. Please do not hesitate to get in touch and support this movement of change. Young people are creative, disruptive forces, and our doing it for themselves. The key question is: can we, the brokers, harness and channel their power for creative disruption?