Youth for Christ motivates 'at risk' young people and offenders

Youth for Christ is reaching out to young offenders and 'at risk' young people with new creative music project, Urban Skillz.

Urban Skillz provides various creative music workshops to groups and agencies in the UK to boost confidence and self-esteem, help to learn and develop new skills, release creativity and give the opportunity for people to try their hand at something they have never done before.

The project is taught through educational music workshops facilitated by professional tutors who are experts in both their specialist area and relational youthwork.

Workshops in production, DJ Techniques, MCing & Rapping, Lyric Writing and Performance take place throughout the UK in schools, youth clubs, alternative education centres, prisons, churches and performing arts training academies.

Urban Skillz also uses creative expression to challenge negative social trends and negative views of today's urban music culture, whilst promoting a positive lifestyle and attitude. It rejects the promotion of criminal activity and the use of explicit content.

Adam Brown, Locdown Coordinator, said, "Urban Skillz is a great way to engage with young people and demonstrate a positive attitude towards urban culture.

"Music is an amazing art that can allow young people to express themselves and through this project we can help them reach their potential."

Seventeen-year-old participant Liam said after an Urban Skillz workshop in Reading, "I really enjoyed the music production course and learnt some valuable new skills.

"The tutors made it easy to learn all the equipment and software. The best part was making my own track from scratch to take home on CD. This has made me want to produce music for myself and use it as a career opportunity."