LIVE Futures & The Livity Trust

Cherise reflects on her two weeks @ LIVE!

2009-03-25T13:11:00.002Z

Where do I start? Well I'll start by saying LIVE was GREAT, FUN and FRIENDLY.
I wasn't really looking forward to work experience because I thought I would have to work and do nothing but work all day , I preferred to be at school in a environment I was known and familiar with. But by the end of my work experience all that changed. Normally at school teachers will be annoying and i might have a got at them, but at LIVE I was sort of free. The first week of work experience went quickly but by the second week I became tired. I started going to bed at around 8:00 and on a normal school day I would go to bed about 11:00.

My journey to Piano house was nerve raking, I had butterflies in my stomach. Every step I took up the stairs, the closer I got to the LIVE office the more I wanted to turn around and go back home. But LIVE where really welcoming and within seconds I stopped worrying. I'm interested in illustrating/design and coming to LIVE gave me a chance to do what I enjoyed. LIVE is a magazine by young people for young people which i think is a great way of getting young people out of trouble..

I really enjoyed writing articles even though i had to do them over like eight times. I realised writing articles is not as easy as it seems. I also enjoyed designing my page and front covers for the LIVE magazine, which also proved to be difficult. I think being at LIVE has shown me I'm a lot smarter than I thought. I have achieved a lot of things such as writing my first article, having the confidence to communicate with people, I've used my english skills to the best of my ability.

At LIVE there was nothing that I really didn't enjoy and wouldn't do in the future. Now I have been at LIVE I would consider being a journalist, designer, illustrator or anything else involved. The people at LIVE where extremely friendly. My new role in LIVE is maybe to do something with sports and maybe do some designing.

LIVE's Cherise Hewitt on being a young athlete - and Dwain Chambers

2009-03-17T15:52:00.001Z

Dwain Chambers - Hero?

Dwain Anthony Chambers is a English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. Born in Islington, North London, he grew up in a single parent family. His mum worked long hours and athletics was his way of escaping from family life.
30 year old Chambers was charged in October 2003 for taking illegal performance enhancing substances. Resulting in him having a two year ban and a life-time Olympic ban. Despite that he's back with a win. Chambers recently won gold in the 60 metres European indoor championship which took place in Italy.

As a young athlete, I train four times a week and do additional training at home. Which will hopefully get me to the 2012 Olympics. I run for Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC and i'm hoping to win my upcoming events. I currently run 100 and 200m. My coach wants me to start running 400m but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. Its a long distance! I just want my races over and done with. I decided to write about Dwain Chambers because he makes me wonder as a young athlete if every athlete goes through a stage when they want to use drugs. Will it affect me?

Chambers has won a number of medals and events. He won junior world record of 10.06s in 100m, bronze medalist in 1999 world championships and made his first Olympic appearance at Sydney 2000. Chambers claimed there was no scientific evidence to show the drug was related to banned substances so it shouldn't have been a doping offence. He has used a over 300 different types of banned drugs a couple of them being THG (Tetrahydrogestrinone), EPO (Erythropoietin) and HGH (human growth hormone). Confused? So am I! In the future when I'm an Olympic athlete I will have to be very careful with what I take, I wont know what's legal or not.

We need Chambers, head coach of the British team admitted that without him Britain may loose medals. To me a couple years banned is all it took to get through to Chambers and other athletes, a life-time banned was extremely over the top. In Russia seven women where banned for only two years for a doping offence. Despite every thing I still see him as an icon of hope. He recently won gold in the 60 metres European indoor championship. We can all see Chambers hasn't let this drama get the better of him. Chambers is an icon of hope and is what Britain needs to win. Cherise Hewitt

We need YOU!

2009-02-23T14:47:00.002Z

Hi, it’s been a busy frantic week at Live Magazine with new issue about to come out, in all its ethical beauty. What's that I hear you say? Ethical and Live? The two don’t seem to go together. Well guess what, they do! Hopefully long time readers and new readers will fall in love with our new found eco-friendly approach. Charity shops, recycling you name it, we have covered it. We have once again delivered a magazine which is up to it’s usual standards. Along with the release of the new issue we are also working hard on the Live Magazine website which will launch sometime mid-march. We imagine the website will be great news for you readers who just can’t seem to get enough of us. The website will be updated on a daily basis and aims to be a continuous feed for readers who just aren’t satisfied with just the magazine. And guess what? We are looking for new recruits to join our fantastic team to help us work on the website and also the latest issue so if you're passionate, creative, bright and most importantly committed you're more than welcome to pop down and use your talent to good effect. Be it opinionated writing or artistic design, our team at LIVE are sure to open up our arms for you.

Albert Kevin Harvey

Natalie captures the castle....

2009-02-13T17:16:00.002Z

So, it's with sadness that we waved goodbye to Natalie Proctor after her stellar week on the LIVE editorial team. But before she left, we persuaded her to part company with the ace book review she wrote today. Here it is...

I Capture the Castle – Book Review

The book ‘I Capture the Castle’ has been said to portray ‘one of the most charismatic narrators’ to grace fiction by JK Rowling. And I must agree. The writing of this charming book is conveyed with such effortless conviction that it’s a joy to read.

The tale of young Cassandra, stuck between the difficult transition of childhood and adulthood, and trying to come to terms with her distant and unstable father. At the same time she is also struggling to live in near poverty amongst the crumbling remains of her beloved castle.

The plot soon thickens with the arrival of an equally eccentric family, the Cottons. And it is not long before Cassandra finds herself falling for the eldest - Simon. However it is Cassandra’s sister Rose who captures his love, leaving Cassandra’s hope for happiness short lived.

After finishing the book ‘I Capture the Castle’ the reader could find themselves left somewhat wanting. The ending to a spiral of romance and confusion was underwhelming as we find nothing resolved, with the heroine left alone and lacking contentment.

Although this ending was perhaps the only feasible finish that could have occurred, I don’t believe that a person could say they read books for a ‘reality check’. We read stories to capture our fantasies, creating a place where someone could be indefinitely happy and where the impossible can become possible. So we naturally expect a lovely and completely ridiculous end where all were miraculously happy and well!

Although we witness Cassandra’s family slowly begin to rebuild itself nearing the end of the book, you still feel that Cassandra is unsatisfied and sad. The story offers countless opportunities for the heroine to be happy, and frustratingly for the reader; none of these chances are accepted. For instance; Stephen confesses his love for Cassandra and proposes – Cassandra says no and refuses him. Then finally when Simon is ready to leave for the return to America he asks Cassandra to come with him – but yet again Cassandra says no, denying her own gratification.

Despite the exasperating ending, the book is redeemed by deeply thought out and detailed writing making it a pleasure to read. The novel portrays Cassandra effortlessly, and you find yourself becoming attached to her emotions and thoughts. You visualise and care for the characters as if they were real, and picture the stunning setting of the ruins of the castle with such definition that you feel totally immersed in Cassandra’s world.

Maybe it’s childish to wish for all the stories I read to end with contention, but what are stories for but for us to enjoy? I did not find the enjoyment in this book as it ends so abruptly and disappointingly. It does however allow you to love it by its fantastically well-written content and natural charm, leaving you to understand why it was complimented so highly by authors like JK Rowling.

A fine read for those who are not prone to predictable romances.

more workie music reviews!

2009-02-13T17:07:00.001Z

This time from LIVE's current work-experience-person-in-residence, Edward Akposheri, 15.

DJ Nonames: Strictly Grizzness

‘Strictly Grizzness’ is a mixtape featuring various Grime artists: Wiley, Skepta, Ghetto, Kyza and more. These grime artists are collaborating with beat producers such a Benga, Skream, Terror Danjah and Bless Beats. The music is bound get your head moving side to side.

Whoever lives in London and listens to hip hop and doesn't know about the up and coming grime scene, couldn't be possibly be playing attention to any type of media. Grime has taken aspects from other genres such as dancehall, house, garage and hip hop.

The mixtape is jam packed with plenty of drum and bass, which I don't really like, but I is easily overlooked because f the lyricists in the tracks. I think the beats are good but shouldn't be played as a whole track but maybe as an interval. The transitions from track to track are good because when one listens to loud lively music nobody wants to hear silence for two seconds after each track.

In conclusion, the mixtape is a great mixtape to buy. I myself will be purchasing it when it is released. I hope you will buy the mixtape too, to help support the grime scene and simply because you’ll like it!

Mahmooda reflects on her week@LIVE HQ

2009-02-07T11:31:00.001Z

Awesome. Wicked. Fun. Great. What else can I say? I could go on forever describing my time at LIVE. My one-week work experience flew past so quickly. I am interested in journalism and got offered the chance to work with the LIVE team. Before I started doing work experience at live I was really nervous and didn't think I could cope, I thought 'as I am going into work I am not going to have fun anymore!' I thought I will have to do so much work in so little time. However, let me tell you one thing, if I didn't take this opportunity I would regret it big time! I never thought being a journalist would be this fun. Did you know that do be a journalist you don't have to do a written report all the time? You can make videos, take photographs, do music reviews etc. The best thing about LIVE is that it is a magazine written by youths for youths, finally our views are heard.

Before my experience at LIVE I read newspapers and wasn't really bothered about international news. I thought since my view isn't heard there's no point being bothered with it, however, my experience at LIVE changed all this. I learnt more about international news and that there is an opinions section at LIVE where our views about the world are heard.

What did I learn at LIVE? I learnt many skills, which are needed by a journalist. Let me tell you one tip, which is needed when writing an opinion piece. Every time you write an opinion piece the best thing is to read it out loud imagining as if you would telling someone. My experience at LIVE has got me more interested in journalism especially the opinion section. I'm also now interested in interviewing, photography and videoing . If you get a chance,like me, I would recommend you take it!

M.Khanom

LIVE's Yinka gets her artwork all up on SOWF's website

2009-01-12T17:11:00.004Z

16 year old Yinka Adenuga came down to the offices today to tell us that examples of her customised artwork had been published on SOWF's website. She entered her work as part of their Street Genius competition. Congratulations to you Yinka!

Here's what went up on the website

http://sowf.mediacitizens.com

My name is yinka aka bre and i basically have a talent for drawing. Basically my customizing all started back in the 1st week of september when i worked for a shop called 'funcky house' in crtoydon for work experience. Wen i left they basically offered me a job to cusomize hats for their store.

They gave me the material paints that i needed to start off but then i thought why not take that opportunity and experiment. So before you know i did a t-shirt, showed it 2 my friends at scl and ppl just started commin up 2 me anskin if i would customize somthin 4 them.

Jordan works out what skills journalists need

2008-12-15T12:55:00.003Z

Jordan Campbell is on our LIVE Learning DIY Magazine programme every Monday. He spent today looking at what journalism is. Here's his handy definition – and the top five skills good journalists need, with a few comedy moments inserted, just to keep the reader interested. Over to you Jordan.

What is journalism?
Journalism is the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news. Journalism mainly states facts about what is happening now, journalism can be about annything, just as long as it's todays news.

What skills do journalists need?

• Writing skills: the work you do might be read by loads of people, theres no point writing about something that nobody would like to read.

• Organisation: when you are writing a piece you need to gather as much information as possible and you need to meet deadlines, if you were not an organised person you might lose your work and this could result in no food for the next week.

• Opinions: journalists need to have a good attitiude and need to be able to work out what they think about things and they do that by thinking it through.

• Communication skills: being a journalist you do need to interview atleast 2000 people in your career and by doing this you accumulate the skills to get more out of people

• Stealth: getting the inside story means you need to get into places without being seen. You've got to be able to blend in anywhere.

Obama on Facebook?

2008-12-01T15:57:00.002Z

LIVE's Jordan Campbell spent today with two work experience contributors who came all the way from Omagh, Ireland to work at the magazine. Today was all about comment features - how you work out what you think about something then express it clearly. Here's what they came up with...

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FRIENDS WITH OBAMA?
Who is the most famous person I know? Mr. Barack Obama, of course. If you were to ask me how, then obviously I would lie and say that him and me have been cool for the last unforgettable amount of years but the truth is I just added him on Facebook and hoped he would reply. I’m not sure why but its weird in one sense that he has one because its considered normal for a teenager to have one but not for a president, that's like me seeing the queen “bopping” down Brixton wearing the latest Nike air maxes, you just wouldn't imagine it. I wanted to find another Facebook that was owned by someone that had an important title. I found Gordon Brown and that was really shocking, not only does he has one of the most boring jobs in the world, he probably is the most boring man in the world, and you can tell this just by looking at his facebook. Mr. Obama’s Facebook takes the reader through a selection of his most loved tunes (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder,) and best films (Godfather I & II, Lawrence of Arabia) but Gordon Brown’s just repeats the words “labour party” in every sentence. There is one more difference between the two and that is, in Gordon’s there is a warning that states that if anyone cusses him, it will be deleted instantly. In Obama’s, there’s no such warnings at all. Who do you think is the cooler? I think Gordon needs to re-read the script and get with the program. Jordan Campbell, 15

WHY DO WE LINK CLOTHES AND MUSIC?
Rock equals jet black hair and a studded leather jacket, R 'n' B equals hoodie and some bling, and if your wearing skinny jeans we all know your an indie kid first in line for some Arctic Monkeys tickets...But why? Why do we link music with the clothes we wear? Perhaps it's because as teens we feel we need to have an image of someone in our heads. Or are we just obsessed with stereotyping? Yes it is normal for someone to have a particular style and this will of course be influenced by the music you listen to, the people you hang out with and the celebrities you inspire to be like. However lets face it, in the world we live in most people would never consider hitting the local DJ hotspot for a dance music session dressed in an outfit that's all black studded from head to toe like a regular goth! We as a society we are constantly obsessing about how we 'expect' people to look just because of the type of music they listen to. Lets take for instance you walk into a R 'n' B club, you almost certainly know what people will be dressed like. There is not likely to be anyone who has the courage to break the mould and really stand out. I think this takes an immense amount of confidence, which is something that not a lot of teens really have. Personally I think that this is limiting people's creative side, as they feel that they must look a certain way to be into a certain genera of music. We should be able to step outside the normality and dress whatever way we want to and listen to what ever music we want to. Well now that you know how I feel on stereotyping I'm just off to do a little spot of rapping in my indie skinny jeans will a studded leather jacket on...Breaking the mould much!! Emma Smyth, 16

SCHOOL SHOULD HELP US OUT, NOT STRESS US OUT
In today's society I think it is extremely important to make the most of your school days, settle down and work to your full potential to gain pretty decent grades. There is no argument that you need qualifications to pursue a good career. It's important to work hard in your compulsory subjects like Maths, English and Science, however recently they have developed a new subject called 'learning for life and work'. This three subjects in one has now became compulsory, piling tonnes more coursework on us along with three extra exams to sit. 'LLW' will appeal to many students, just like art and media studies appeal to me but there is certainly no need to make it sit alongside Maths and you no the rest. To achieve good grades to the best of your ability you need short snappy down to the point subjects. At least with Maths you will get somewhere in life. I know from my experiences, at the end of the day I feel tired, strained with no concentration left at all. I think nearly everyone's the same. School should inspire us in ways to see a brighter future, give us confidence and make us believe in ourselves, explore our creative senses. Why would I want to know how to behave in an office? School tends to just throw work and deadlines at us with no thought for anything else. Justice anyone? Schools have the power to create a happier environment, lets start now and get to grip with some real subjects.

LIVE Learning

2008-11-13T15:37:00.002Z

LIVE Learning had a visit today from the Open College Network (OCN) to moderate the portfolios of work our learners have been putting together. Contributors who've attended our basic journalism course can get themselves units of accreditation at Level 2 in a whole host of journalism-related skills, including news writing, comment features, writing reviews and creating profiles of interesting individuals. Another eleven learners had their work signed off, as did the last six people who went through Music4Good's intensive Music, Business and Life course. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Minister comes to LIVE!

2008-10-21T17:24:00.002+01:00

LIVE Editor Sian Anderson, 17, tells all about when Kevin Brennan, Minister For The Third Sector, came down to LIVE.

Kevin Brennan you hear me say! A year ago, aged 16, this name would have had as much meaning to me as a a piece of paper without a pen - none! Third Sector, Brennan means to me a inspiration to all around him.

''I've heard it said that young people are not interested in politics - they are. They have opinions.''

I used to be a strong believer in the fact that youths hate politics and anything remotely to do with MPs/PMs until I heard the above. Brennan made me realize that although I had no direct interest in politics, I still have opinions on decisions that the government make that affect me. On that note it becomes apparent that all youths need to be exposed to the true definition of politics and be taught that they're opinion does matter.

Being the Minister of the Third Sector means that Brennan deals with all social enterprises and non profitable organizations such as LIVE to give youths better opportunities.

I previously had a stereotype of MPs being adults in suits who make important decisions that effect the public in both good and bad ways. I didn't think they had lives outside of parliament as its hard to imagine MPs having time to do anything else. Meeting Brennan - a Scottish family man, has taught me otherwise. MPs have personalities and actually have a sense of humor. Brennen plays guitar and sings alongside three fellow MPs for a (very good) band called MP4 -No seriously! Not MP3 but MP4... Get it? He's also a fan of any sport that contains a ball and would pick Britney Spears over Paris Hilton because Britney actually has talent!

Realising that like Brennan, many politicians are people who still have lives and want to make a genuine difference was a great eye opener for me and a wave of shame sweeps over me when I remember the way I cringed earlier the morning of October 14th as I prepared to meet a member of parliament. Youths need people like Brennan to open there minds to the real world of politics and realize that they do matter more than they think.

Its all fair and well that Brennan came to LIVE so we could find out about him butat the same time, this MP, took the time out of his busy schedule to find out a bit about each and every single one of us. Now if thats not a caring politician then I'm
not sure what is!

LIVE meets IPC

2008-10-21T17:07:00.001+01:00

Today, contributors from LIVE magazine went to Waterloo to the IPC Media blue fin building to take part in a conference to raise interest about youth mentoring in the media. During the meeting we talked about the benefits of mentoring and how to apply and also a bit about what will happen and how long you can mentor for. We also watched a short film about LIVE to make the employers of IPC more clued-up about the magazine and what we do. We did all this to raise awareness about the importance of mentoring and how it could help both mentors and young people. After the film me and the other contributors for LIVE were given a tour of the Nuts office, which I thought was quite interesting. We also got free Nuts t-shirts and a magazine. I will be wearing mine later!

Danielle Tan, 17

Minister Kevin Brennan to visit LIVE

2008-10-13T17:02:00.000+01:00

The newly-appointed minister for the Third Sector and MP for Cardiff West, Kevin Brennan will be coming to LIVE HQ tomorrow morning. He’ll be visiting with a handful of Cabinet Office staff and members of the press who’ll be covering the visit, so he can find out about LIVE’s unique youth engagement and Livity’s ground-breaking socially responsible youth marketing. He’s going to be meeting LIVE contributors including our editor Sian Anderson, 18 and designer Jelani Da Costa-Best as well as current La Retrait work experience girls Yewandre, 15 and Cherona, 15 and a roll-call of LIVE contributors past and present. We’ll update you on this special visit tomorrow!

Marcel Mbeka

DIESEL CHOOSES LIVE FUTURES AND THE LIVITY TRUST TO SUPPORT YOUNG TALENT

2008-10-01T11:50:00.006+01:00

Diesel, the iconic Italian denim brand and fashion house, is celebrating 30 years of creativity next month and to mark the occasion has chosen to launch a long-term partnership with our not-for-profit youth engagement social enterprise LIVE Futures and our new charity arm, The Livity Trust.

The partnership will build on LIVE's on-going youth-training relationship with Diesel's pioneering Diesel:U:Music Radio project to support young talent in its rawest form through all aspects of LIVE Futures' and The Livity Trust's innovative work improving the lives of young people in London and beyond.

Diesel are donating 100% of proceeds from the London leg of its xXx Birthday Party at new super-club matter on October 11 and an amazing modern music memorabilia eBay auction throughout October. Diesel have also commissioned LIVE's trainee writers, illustrators and designers to produce a special one-off xXx Ray Eyes fanzine commemorating all aspects of their birthday celebrations.

The proceeds from the auction and party will help us to continue our work with young people, giving them opportunities to improve their lives. This means funding for LIVE Magazine, our quarterly publication produced entirely by young people who receive training, mentoring, accreditation and job coaching. Some of the proceeds will also go to The Livity Trust, a new charitable trust fund set up to pay for apprenticeships and make small grants for disadvantaged and 'at risk' young people to advance their education or career.

Diesel and LIVE have asked famous names from the international music scene to donate a personal, 'pre-loved item that tells a story' to raise funds for the education and inspiration of disadvantaged young people in London. Auction items, including The Ting Tings' drumsticks, Estelle's sunglasses, Kasabian's tambourines and original drawings for a Goldfrapp video, will be exhibited at Diesel's flagship store in Covent Garden through September and October and simultaneously auctioned at www.dieselxxxauction.com.
Also in the auction will be the first ever Fiat 500 by Diesel a stylish new car design that will be causing a storm when they hit the road in Spring 2009.

The London leg of Diesel's 17 city global party, The Creative Experiment, will welcome 3,000 guests to one of the capital's most
exciting new venues matter, heralded as the most technologically advanced clubs in the UK. Among the 30 confirmed performers are Mark Ronson, Mystery Jets, The View and Patrick Wolf. www.diesel.com/xxx

During the lead up to the big event, the hugely successful Diesel:U:Music Radio station has been welcomed back until October 12th at www.dieselumusicradio.com and will feature original programming from journalists, bloggers and broadcasters, including I-D, Popjustice, Kerrang, The Guardian and the young journalists from LIVE Magazine. A brand new fanzine supporting the London event has also been produced by a dedicated group of young trainee journalists and designers from LIVE who have been mentored by established magazine professionals.

Andy Griffiths, Head Of Communication at Diesel UK, commented: "Diesel is 100% committed to supporting a new generation of talent and LIVE Futures is a superb example of how a project engages with young people through fashion, art, music and media. The Brixton team is incredibly effective at raising the sights of the young people they work with, engaging them in positive activities and then moving them into employment, education or apprenticeships. For these reasons we want to support their work."

Gavin Weale, Director of LIVE Futures, added: "We're thrilled to have been selected by such a prestigious brand. The LIVE Futures team and all of our young people look forward to reaping the benefits and rewards of Diesel's generosity!'.

For more information contact paola@livity.co.uk

To Do... O'clock

2008-09-15T12:15:00.002+01:00

I knew everyone was busy here but it's easy to forget quite how busy. Here's a little lowdown on just three projects that have been happening in LivityLand. Get clicking!

• Shunburn Campaign www.shunburn.co.uk
How to reduce incidents of skin cancer amongst 14-25 year olds across the UK? Use a campaign featuring Leona Lewis and exclusive prizes to drive sign-up traffic for 'burn alert' text messages, sent out on the hottest days of the summer.

• Spinebreakers www.spinebreakers.co.uk
We worked with Penguin and Puffin books to create and maintain a youth-controlled world of stories, book reviews and all-round creativity. We had over a thousand entries to the recent Paper Cuts competitions - site's on a roll.

• Stormstyle www.Stormstyle.com
We might not have been involved with the site build or design, but our writers and designers created bespoke content for the launch of this website from the world's leading model agency.

V for Vicky

2008-09-12T16:23:00.002+01:00

This time it's over to Victoria Agbontaen who's our third Year 11 workie.

Today at LIVE was OK. I had to finish transcribing a 30 minute interview which has taken me about TWO days to transcribe. This showed me that journalism isn't all about meeting and writing people and that there is a hard side to it. It showed me that if I'm really serious about becoming a journalist it's going to take a lot of hard work and effort. Journalism is all about getting out what you put in and even though I'm shook at the thought of it I think I'm ready for the challenge! And finishing that interview!

After I finished transcribing I had to go deliver some of the old issues of LIVE magazine to Effra Road, Brixton, and give them to a women called Sandra that works at a Radio Station called Play Vybz! It was kind of nerve-racking because I couldn't find her office and no one seemed to know where it was either but with my smart-wit and intelligence I worked it out and delivered them safely. Success.

To sum everything up, time really does fly when your having fun. It's my final day of work experience at LIVE magazine today, now I have to go back to school. JUST GREAT. I must admit today wasn't my best day here because all I've done is transcribe but on the other hand its been a really fun jam packed week and I'm sad to see it come to an end, but I will definitely be coming back here again. In six months time I hope to be music editor of LIVE so I'll be the first to here all the exclusive music and interview all me favorite artists. You know how I do. Overall, I hope that LIVE will be my guide to making it big in the world of journalism. This is the first proper piece I've ever written for a magazine but trust me. It won't be the last.

Yinka Gets Smoked Out

2008-09-12T13:06:00.002+01:00

Workie Natalie has been blogging all week about her time at LIVE. Fellow workie Yinka took the blogging reins yesterday. Here's her report on creating the photoshoot for the Autumn issue of the magazine. Over to you, Yinks....

Oh my gosh! What a day. Well to be more honest it was more like what an afternoon. I was being featured in October's issue of the photo story for LIVE magazine which is about why you shouldn't smoke. People may think its easy - taking a few pictures, but I am telling you it is damn right hard. First we had to find a shop where we could actually take the photographs, but they diidn't even have a dressing room. So then we went to another store, opposite Brixton market but they wanted to see a bit of proof that we were actually from a magazine. So I had to run all the way back to LIVE grab a few magazines and come back. And could you believe we still couldn't do the photographs there? But then we saw another store called JOY and they said it was cool for us to take some photographs. So we had to wait for Natalie choose the clothes that were gonna be featured in the photo shoot. I'm telling you it took like a hour and a half till we could actually find something for her to wear. I'm am telling you it is time's like these why men always say galdem take long to get dressed. So then we decided to take the rest of the pictures next to JOY at the P3 bus stop. It was so funny because the person playing James kept on talking a load of rubbish to himself when we were taking the photograph. So in the end we took our last photograph next to a chemist on the high street. Overall for me our afternoon was really fun and to finish it off we all took a LIVE crew picture where everyone sat on the bed.

Day Three of Natalie's Work Experience Blog!

2008-09-11T17:37:00.002+01:00

WOW! The third day already, time goes quick when your having fun. Today at LIVE was alright. It was all about the tough side to journalism. I had to transcribe a interview that Emma Warren, my Supervisor (Ed: supervisor?!!!). She was interviewing Jason from Transition who cuts dubs for DJs and producers. That was quite hard because listening to a recording that is fairly quiet and typing it up is a job and a half. This has given me an insight to what journalism is all about because it's not as easy as I thought. After transcribing, I went to help one of the assistants working for Livity which was Hayley Joyes. We were working on the blog entries for a project for BBC3, where young writers from all around the country talk about their lives. That was more like an English lesson but laid back! Soon after, I had to write up the script for the photoshoot going in the next issue of LIVE in October (ain't gonna lie it was fun). It was about smoking but you know we greaz'd it up and made it ghetto, by putting in slang and morals that young people could relate to, I loved that because i am a very imaginative person and making up a story is just my thing. Summing everything up, boi! today was a journey and i learnt from it, but tomorrow might be even more of one...

Day Two...

2008-09-10T10:13:00.001+01:00

Today is my second day at LIVE. I was so excited about what I was going to do today after such an amazing day yesterday. As soon as i got in I saw Chantelle Fiddy (who writes for The London Paper) and she called me over to listen to some new tunes! They were SICK! One of them was Tinie Tempah- Tears (BOY! i love Tinie Tempah) so you know i enjoyed that. I also got the opportunity to listen to a latest song by Papoose ft Busy Signal. That was tough! Later on I had to type up some features from the past issues of LIVE, at the same time listening to some of my music. That wasn't much fun but it was nice chilling out time.
Eventually I had to review some mixtapes from different artists and comment on them, that was really good because some people I haven't even heard of like Tawiah and Goldielocks and they were DAMN GOOD! Overall, the day was on point and perfect there was no difficult times. So you know let's WAIT and SEE what's in store for me tomorrow!

Workie tells all

2008-09-08T17:15:00.001+01:00

It's work experience week for many schools in Lambeth and we've got a handful of Year 11's from borough schools in at LIVE this week. Natalie Akingbaje's going to be blogging all week about the experience. Here's what she had to say about day one. Just don't ask her about what it's like to make 25 cups of tea...

I started work at LIVE today and I was expecting to learn a lot from it. I knew it was all about youths and what is going on among us these days, that is the main reason why I wanted to get involved and do my work experience here. Today at LIVE I was videoed by an organisation called Media Trust who produce award winning film for charities. They were interviewing five of us on behalf of the DCFS (that’s the Department for Children, Families and Schools to you) who do their best to ensure that England is the best place in the world for children and young people. They asked me things like “What did you do this holiday?” and “What would you like the government’s money to go towards?” I told them that I would like more chilling out spots for youths, like youth clubs and forums to keep us off the street and also to keep us entertained throughout the holidays. That was quite exciting because not only was I getting videoed knowing that it will be played to the government but I also got to put across my thoughts. Also I did a bit of typing – I wrote up a piece about talented young people – and I also read the latest issue of LIVE. That gave me a greater insight into the magazine. Working here is exciting and a wonderful experience because it’s unpredictable. You never know what is coming next. Tomorrow’s a new day, and a new blog post, so watch out for what comes next.

LIVE workshops

2008-06-10T15:10:00.002+01:00

We've just finished another series of our regular journalism workshops - so that's another sixteen young writers prepped and ready to roll fully skilled up in news writing, interview skills and a whole host of journalistic basics. We run our workshops on a regular basis, so if you or anyone you know wants to come along then just contact Emma on emma@live-magazine.co.uk. We're also getting ready to start eight weekly accredited sessions in Digital Marketing, so again, if you're interested, just holla.

Bertan goes to The Guardian

2008-06-09T15:50:00.003+01:00

Young writers Bertan Budak, 20 and Richard Lemmer, 19, repped LIVE at a Guardian volunteering day last week. We met badboy Guardian writer Simon Hattenstone (who's kindly agreed to come and do a Talk Tuesday for us in the near future) and the Governor of Pentonville Prison. We also shared conversation and sandwiches with some interesting folk who work in partnership with The Guardian and their volunteering programme, which allows Guardian staff two days volunteering each year and means that LIVE's benefited from workshops and mentoring from writers at the paper. Over to you Bertan...

I hate giving speeches. Even when I’m on the receiving end, I still get a bit sweaty wondering if the guy in front of me will cock-up and stutter his way to the end. So when I was told only five minutes before, I’d be giving a speech in front of some of my journo idols and the MD of the Guardian… I froze! Luckily, my experiences at Live have taught me to face my demons, and if I do end up making a fool of myself, the door was only a spitting distance away. As I began to speak, the words flew naturally out of my mouth. I’ve encountered both warm and friendly experiences here at LIVE magazine, so talking about London’s premier youth title was a walk in the park. I began by giving an overview of who I am, what I do and which publications and websites I write for. I then added a little a flavour of what LIVE is about, how it has changed my life and what I’ve learned both professionally and personally. I executed the speech by thanking the Guardian for all their hard work, which received healthy applause - back of the net!

Moved!

2008-06-09T12:07:00.003+01:00

Well, we've finally done it. LIVE and our family of companies have all upped sticks and moved to a huge new office space, just up the road. We used to be on different floors in our old home but now we're all together with LIVE's young contributors rubbing office space with the adult employees of LIVE Futures (the not-for-profit organisation that publishes LIVE) and Livity, the socially responsible youth marketing agency that started the whole thing. It's a big look.

It's been busy even aside from the move. We've just finished the first proofs of the new issue, which is a sexual health special. We're got the first versions off to our partners to check they're happy with everything and we're double checking all the facts and stats we got from the readers survey that forms the heart of the cover story. More details when we've gone to print - as every good journalist knows, exclusives are only exclusive for as long as they're under wraps.

The Radio Peckham crew are going from strength to strength now that the Diesel U Music Radio project has wrapped. You can still access some of the shows here though...

http://dum.diesel.com/radio

...and watch out for their new monthly shows on Radio Peckham. They'll be broadcasting weekly in August, both on Radio Peckham and on Choice FM so basically, it's a big look X 2.

LIVE this week

2008-05-16T13:18:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy one. Mervin, Mahta, Meg and Diana have had their half-hour shows broadcast on Diesel UMusic Radio (check them out on www.diesel.com) and they're currently in talks with Radio Peckham about taking their new-found radio skills onto bigger and better things. Their shows covered everything from Reggaeton to indie and Mervin managed to get dubstep superstar Benga on his show - and played a quick-fire Name That Tune round with him.

It's also been a good week for press coverage. 15-year-old LIVE contributor Gus Rodrigues was quoted in TimeOut this week on London's new mayor.

http://www.timeout.com/london/big-smoke/features/4828/Mayor_Boris-first_term_forecast.html

LIVE is also featured in the South London Press today. They say we are a "brilliant Brixton based youth mag" and we are inclined to agree. We're a week or so away from deadline for the summer issue so it's heads down and noses to the grindstone until LIVE 28 goes to bed.

LIVE do the Rolex Sweep

2008-04-15T12:22:00.001+01:00

Set to be hotter than Soulja Boy’s Crank Dat, the Rolex Sweep is the latest craze sweeping through the UK urban music underground.

Swag moves set to Wiley’s single Wearing My Rolex, the LIVE crew recorded their own ‘Sweep and uploaded their efforts to YouTube. It was an immediate hit – featured on urban artist JME’s MySpace, within days it received thousands of views, and just two weeks later it stands at over 12,000 views.

jellyellie

Check it out for yourself if you haven’t already:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rL7i-URS4Z8

Work with us... on the Spinebreakers project

2008-04-14T16:23:00.002+01:00

Over the past two years, Livity and LIVE have been key partners in the development of Spinebreakers.co.uk as the number one online destination for teenage readers and book lovers.

With the continuing growth and success of the site, we are now recruiting for the site’s first ever dedicated web editor. If books are your passion, this is a unique opportunity for a lively, rewarding and varied web editorial position for one of the world’s foremost publishers.

You’ll need to be enthusiastic, passionate, self-motivated and talented, working directly for Livity/ LIVE, managing the teenage editorial team (the Spinebreakers Crew), and liaising with the Penguin editorial and marketing teams.

You will be responsible for managing the general day-to-day content and development of www.spinebreakers.co.uk, as well as maintaining and updating common pages and co-ordinating the input from the Spinebreakers Crew. The role is for 3 days a week, based at Livity’s lively offices in south London.

Regular tasks include:

• Updating the site homepage to reflect and highlight the content flagged within it on at least a monthly basis
• Compiling the monthly newsletter
• Uploading new books on to the site for the ‘browse books’ section Commissioning banners and content from the Penguin online team, authors, editors and partners
• Attending and chairing monthly editorial meetings with the Spinebreakers crew and representatives from Penguin
• Coordinating content from the internal top contributors as well as the wider teen audience
• Managing the monthly drive-cycle of activity on the site
• Keeping the site readable, relevant and balanced
• Ensuring that the site remains credible and faithful to the ethos of ‘by the teens and for the teens’
• Uploading podcasts, dealing with mail, reporting bugs

Please send your CV and covering letter to Gavin Weale @ Livity: gavin@livity.co.uk / Tunstall Studios, 34-44 Tunstall Road, London, SW9 8DA.

LIVE and the London Sinfonietta

2008-04-10T16:35:00.002+01:00

LIVE's very own multi-tasking, musical maestro Dannyelle Mavour, 20, has been selected to take part in a special project with the London Sinfonietta. The project, named Music For 18 Musicians, aims to bring people who don't know about classical music into the world of orchestras and instrumental sounds. "The course is looking to take people form different walks of life and bringing them into a new thing of music. It's about training you to listen to the beat. the beat tells its own story without the vocals. It can talk about pain, love, hate, war. I am excited to be a part of this ground-breaking project." On the 18th April Dannyelle and the other young people on the project will be performing at the Royal Festival Hall, where they'll showcase the new piece they're creating as part of Music For 18 Musicians.

www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk

LIVE Editors get interviewed for South London Press

2008-04-10T16:27:00.003+01:00

LIVE's key editorial team were interviewed today for the South London Press. "They took a load of pictures of us with the new magazine" says Deputy Editor Mervin Martin, 21. "It's great." Editor Mahta Hassanzadeh, 19 was also in the frame. "They're were interested in the fact we have a bumper issue out and the fact we're promoting politics and encouraging young people to get involved with politics." The new issue is due back from the printers on April 14th... and we're expecting more coverage from the local and national press over the coming weeks.

LIVE gets on the airwaves...

2008-04-07T12:32:00.003+01:00

LIVE Magazine is proud to announce that we're involved with Diesel's U:Music Radio, which is broadcasting in New Cross throughout May. The station will feature a mix of presenter-led shows, documentaries, live sessions broadcast from the celebrated local venue, The Amersham Arms and citizen broadcast shows from talented members of the public. Eight young people from LIVE and Radio Peckham (www.radiopeckham.org) will be attending a series of training workshops at Radio Peckham and will be creating a show to be broadcast on the station as part of U:Music's commitment to community engagement and training. Out to our budding broadcasters! And expect blog posts this week from the trainees themselves...

LIVE Magazine on BBC NEWS!!!

2007-10-01T10:43:00.000+01:00

If you happened to be watching the six o'clock news on Friday September 28 on BBC 1 you will have seen a great news item all about how, one year on from the horrific double shooting in MacDonald's, Brixton is making big strides in becoming a safer, more inspiring place for young people, adults, business and leisure. The centre-piece of the report was all about LIVE! Including interviews with our young writers Burtan and Dannyelle and LIVE co-founder Sam Conniff. It's a great look for LIVE but also for the whole of Brixton and young people in general so well done everyone involved.
If you missed it you can watch it here.... copy and paste into your browser....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7010000/newsid_7019000/7019070.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&nol_storyid=7019070&news=1

LIVE at the MOBOs

2007-09-21T14:00:00.000+01:00

LIVE infiltrated this year's MOBO awards, with around 20 of our contributors in the audience for the ceremony. As our correspondent Dannyelle reports:

"this was an amazing feeling for me as this was my first time I have ever been to such an event. And being in the presence of so many talented people from different parts of the entertainment industry, the likes of Ne-yo, Robin Thicke, Former Heavyweight champion of the world Frank Bruno, and Quentin Tarentino. For me one of the best bits of the MOBOs was when Kano & Craig David came and tore the stage up with their collaboration "This Is The Girl I Want," and when one half of the host of the awards (Jamelia) came out in some skin tight shorts Grrrrrrr!"

This year's MOBO magazine also featured some of LIVE's top writers, including Limara Salt, Bertan Budak, Hyper-Frank, Carlene Thomas-Bailey and Mahta Hassanzedah, who chipped in with features and interviews for the one-off publication.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

2007-09-11T11:55:00.000+01:00

The new issue of LIVE Magazine has arrived! And it's the best yet.
Thanks to our new superstar production manager, Emma Ellwood, for the first time ever, LIVE has gone "perfect bound", which means it has a proper spine instead of staples - PROFESSIONAL!
Even more importantly it's the first issue under the control of new editor, Mahta Hassanhzadeh, 18, and deputy editor Mervin Martin, 21.
They've done an amazing job, cramming the issue full of interesting, inspiring and entertaining articles on subjects as diverse as rock climbing, lung cancer, computer game addiction, fashion jobs, dating and gardening!
There is a special section of amazing illustrations by talented young artists, a pull-out poster photostory about binge drinking and all the usual columns, reviews and news.
Big respect to Art Director Corinne too for designing nearly the whole issue without a design mentor to help out in double quick time.
To get your free copy come by and pick one up or contact us.

LIVE Editor writes for Londonpaper

2007-08-14T10:58:00.000+01:00

LIVE Magazine's editor Mahta Hassanzadeh, 18, has had an excellent article published in yesterday's edition of the Londonpaper. Mahta's review of the under-18s only Underage Festival in London's Victoria Park last Friday was printed in the paper that has circulation of nearly half a million copies. Congratulations to Mahta!

Gordy bigs up LIVE

2007-07-24T15:36:00.000+01:00

Gordon Brown has included LIVE Futures Directors Sam and Michelle in a new book he has written called "Britain's Everyday Heroes".

Launched today, the book tells the story of 33 ordinary people from the UK whose willing commitment to a cause or a community has informed or inspired the new Prime Minister.

In the book, Gordon writes:

"They are doing something unique: applying one of the most modern
techniques, youth marketing, to one of the most enduring challenges,
helping young people fulfill their potential.

What is most striking about Sam and Michelle is the ease with which they combine business acumen and drive with care and empathy for each of the young people whose lives they touch.

They have created a dynamic business and a safe and welcoming place
that engages young people on their terms and gives them opportunities
to develop their talents and ambitions.

Sam and Michelle have very big ambitions for how their model could
spread, and hearing them explain not only the values but the logic
that underpins their work, one can't but help feel they may just have
what it takes to realise their dreams."

Buy Britain's Everyday Heroes here

All royalties from the book will go to Community Links

A Tale of Two Emmas

2007-07-18T15:31:00.000+01:00

LIVE is delighted to have recently welcomed Emma Warren and Emma Ellwood-Russell into the project team. Emma Warren has joined us as senior mentor and education officer, in a post funded by the Tom ap Rhys Price Memorial Trust, having been a LIVE mentor for many years. Emma Ellwood-Russell is LIVE’s new project manager, who joins us from the integrated marketing firm Exposure.

Read more about them here

Third instalment of Beautiful South due for August

2007-07-17T12:19:00.000+01:00

After the rampant success of the last one, the NFT’s LIVE-sponsored film night returns in August. Tickets are priced only £2, to see exciting young film-making talent from around south London, including a submission from LIVE’s very own film-making crew.

Get the details here

LIVE gets a job lot from ITV

2007-07-16T15:34:00.000+01:00

A group of around 10 volunteers from ITV came to LIVE on June 15th to work one-on-one with LIVE’s young people on the next stage after education or training. Offering tailored support in CV writing, interview techniques and application forms, the day was organised as part of the London Better Together day.

Most importantly, of course, the day featured a trip to Brixton hotspot and favourite dating venue Nando’s for all the volunteers and young people.

LIVE makes a Play in Lambeth

2007-07-15T15:33:00.000+01:00

Lambeth youth service have commissioned LIVE’s design and editorial team to create a version of their 10-year play strategy that can be easily digested by a wide age range of readers.

The strategy document will be designed by LIVE’s Melissa Gibbons, 21, and the text has been revised in consultation with LIVE Editor Mahta Hassanzedah.

What people say about us

2007-06-13T15:12:00.000+01:00

"They are doing something unique: applying one of the most modern
techniques, youth marketing, to one of the most enduring challenges,
helping young people fulfill their potential.

The result is their flourishing youth marketing agency, Livity, their
pioneering television production company, Dubplate, and their
successful youth training initiative, LIVE.

And now they are planning their next endeavour, an enterprise hub
housing thirty local businesses, each of whom will commit to doing
something for young people.

What is most striking about Sam and Michelle is the ease with whichthey combine business acumen and drive with care and empathy for each
of the young people whose lives they touch.

They have created a dynamic business and a safe and welcoming place
that engages young people on their terms and gives them opportunities
to develop their talents and ambitions.

And these aren't just ideas but plans the Livity team are trying to
turn into a reality in their local area. Their next plan is to develop
a major office space in the area to serve as a hub of social
enterprise. The hub would house up to thirty small businesses, along
with a media centre and cooking facilities for use in training, with
each business receiving subsidised rent in return for hosting a young
person at risk as an apprentice. LIVE would sit at the heart of the
project and help support the young people, who would use the space to
engage in training and work opportunities.

Sam and Michelle have very big ambitions for how their model could
spread, and hearing them explain not only the values but the logic
that underpins their work, one can't but help feel they may just have
what it takes to realise their dreams."

Gordon Brown, 2007

"As soon as a young person walks through the door, they know that it is a working environment, and it is made clear what is expected of them. That's where the commitment and inclusive approach of the staff is crucial. They make it clear to the young people the heights they are expected to reach, but they also make it clear that they will be supported every step of the way to make sure they get there. This goal-orientated approach leads to an amazing amount of 'incidental' learning: this is not training for the sake of it, it's training to make sure deadlines and quality standards are met. This as well as having the opportunity to work alongside highly skilled professional journalists, photographers and designers - is fantastic preparation for the wider world of work." – Andy Hamflett, CEO, UK Youth Parliament.

“An excellent example of a public, private and voluntary sector partnership delivering a much needed resource in south London.” – Dave Dowie, Head of Lewisham Youth Service.

“LIVE is a magazine for young people, not dependant on advertising and therefore has been able to become a real voice for young people without being altered by commercial agendas.” – Averil Ledsham, Connexions Manager for Lambeth.

"My general confidence has not only improved very much, I gained it at LIVE in the first place. I have learnt a lot, this space is just not enough. To love and be friendly with people and confidence that people actually appreciate me for me. That someone else wants me to make a good future for my children and me. That there are still good people in the world. I love LIVE.” - Dianne, 20, from Downham

“LIVE is a good opportunity for people that don’t have qualifications and want hands on experience. Everyone needs to be a part of this ASAP!" - Jodie, 19, from Brixton

“Since I have been at LIVE, I have developed skills such as learning how to write like a professional journalist, how to conduct myself professionally in a working environment, and to motivate myself and get the results I want out of life. In the space of six months, I now see my future as very bright and productive. I am happy that my life is worth something and people want to help me in becoming successful woman. I also want young people to know that the positive approach to society can really work and it is worth it. This is one true success story. Thanks LIVE." – Kalise, 20, from Forest Hill.

“He is full of beans and immensely proud of his features in Live, as is all the family. He is currently feeling really positive, emotionally happy and full of confidence, and we want to thank you all for helping Dan. His self-esteem is always at a high when he is around your office and other Live members. I only hope that he can stay on the road he's on. We have seen him so suddenly crumble and follow the road of self-destruction. You are all a big support network to both Daniel and myself because I see the positive outcomes.” – Parents of Daniel, 17.

Local partnerships

2007-06-12T15:11:00.000+01:00

LIVE’s original partner, Lambeth Youth Service, remain a key funder and supporter of the magazine to this day, providing core funding for the production of LIVE magazine.

Lewisham Youth Service, and a similar range of local agencies (including Connexions, Teenage Pregnancy, Community Safety, PAYP and the Police) have since 2004 matched Lambeth’s outlay to bring the magazine into Lewisham borough in equal measure.

Media Partnerships

2007-06-11T15:08:00.000+01:00

LIVE’s success is partly due to the support and enthusiasm of our partners in the mainstream media and music industry.

The Guardian/Observer group have supported LIVE under their social responsibility wing since 2004, which has included providing numerous mentors, work experience, advice and guidance on editorial matters, as well as inviting LIVE in to regularly visit and meet with staff, and attend series of workshops in the Guardian Newsroom.

Other key supporters include the Dazed Group, BBC, Channel 4 and Sony BMG.

Workshops for young people

2007-06-10T15:06:00.000+01:00

LIVE runs ongoing weekly journalism workshops in both Lambeth and Lewisham boroughs. The workshops are accredited up to level 3 NVQ equivalent, and give a brilliant introduction to the world of journalism.

They are open to anyone aged 16-21 in south London, particularly those who have an interest in getting into the media. Please contact Emma Warren if you’d like to know more.

Contact Emma Warren here with any enquiries.

Get involved

2007-06-09T15:04:00.000+01:00

If you think you could add to LIVE’s pool of voluntary professional mentors or supporters, we’d love to hear from you. Here are just a few ways you could help:

Mentoring
LIVE welcomes professionals who can spare some time to help our writers, designers, illustrators, as well as budding entrepreneurs or film-makers. Mentoring can happen on a one-on-one basis over a period of time, or can be tied to one particular issue we’re working on. If you’re interested, give us a call to discuss what the opportunities are.

Talk Tuesday
Every Tuesday afternoon LIVE welcomes a different speaker from a variety of industries and interests to visit the office and give a talk about how they made it in what they do. If you think you could hold court for an hour to a room full of teenagers, and inspire or open their minds in some way (even if your speciality is outside of journalism or the media) get in touch.

Work experience/internships
We are constantly on the look-out for opportunities for our young people to gain experience or progress. If you need bright, enthusiastic and determined young people for your organisation, we have CVs we can send you straight away.

E-mail us to find out more

Company Values

2007-06-08T14:36:00.001+01:00

LIVE Futures directly addresses some of the most fundamental needs and challenges facing young people and adults from deprived communities in south London. The company was formed as a social enterprise to fulfill social objectives in response to the needs of young people, originally identified on behalf of the local authorities.

Training and job opportunities:
LIVE Futures is mainly aimed at those in most need: people for who mainstream education has often failed to engage, who are under-skilled and low in confidence; who mainstream services have often failed to pick up. The whole community needs this group to be addressed in order to ignite the regeneration of the whole area and provide a positive and economically sustainable future.

Inspiration, empowerment & respect in the community:
Our methodology of ‘engage, inspire and own’ has been developed through working with hundreds of young people on our project.

Facilities and activities in the community:
Endorsing constructive and positive places to go and things to do for young people and young adults. The projects within LIVE Futures can serve as one of the most credible ways of promoting local services and organisations, as the information is communicated via the young people themselves, and therefore results in increased referrals and uptake of these services.

Reducing crime and making south London a safer place to live:
Through five years' work with the target groups we offer projects that can engage ex-offenders and those ‘at risk’ of offending, diverting their energies and attention into positive activities that motivate, empower, and set them on the right track towards working and re-engaging with society.

Businesses supporting the community:
As a group of businesses with a financial bottom-line, we nevertheless believe that we have a responsibility to have a positive impact on the area where we are based (and beyond). Aside from that, working with young people every day enriches our lives and businesses.

Portraying young people positively:
Both locally and nationally, it’s necessary to understand younger people, celebrate their achievements and show their positive contributions to society. LIVE Futures promotes a more cohesive society, reduces fear (especially of crime) and clears the pathways for young people to progress more easily.

Work we've done

2007-06-08T14:36:00.000+01:00

LIVE Magazine
South London’s voice of young people, and LIVE Futures’ ongoing flagship project. See a short(ish) history of LIVE . If you want a copy of LIVE, click hereto contact us.

LIVE Recordings
The UK’s first youth-run record label project, on behalf of Lewisham Council, gave ownership of a record label and its budget to a group of ‘at-risk’ young people from an estate in Deptford, and encouraged them to learn disciplines around marketing, PR, communication, distribution and finance. Supported by volunteers from the music industry, and running for two years, the project saw three releases, and managed to secure Basement Jaxx and Mark Ronson as remixers.

Penguin Books
In partnership with Livity, LIVE’s project team have developed a programme to recruit a team of teen writers to create the content for Spinebreakers.co.uk, a ground-breaking teenage reading web site. As well as recruiting and running the workshops, the both the LIVE project team and the young people have consulted on the development of the site, its name, look and feel, and will continue to manage the content flow on an ongoing basis after launch.

Made In Brixton
To promote Brixton’s creative industries across London, this contract publishing piece for Lambeth’s Department of Culture saw young people being mentored to research, write and design the first south London based creative directory for Made in Brixton, the umbrella organisation for Brixton’s creative businesses.

Taking the Peace
Several members of LIVE’s editorial team were commissioned by local funders to put together this supplement in response the July 7th bombings in 2005. Aimed at cultural understanding and promoting tolerance, the pocket-sized piece was distributed with LIVE magazine to young people across south London.

Putting Young People at the Heart of the Arts
In partnership with Waterloo-based youth group SE1 United, LIVE were commissioned to do a major piece of youth-led research on behalf of the major Southbank arts organisations. The aim of the research was to evaluate young people’s perception of the arts in south London, and to comprehensively map local provision. LIVE’s young people were employed to conduct questionnaire’s and surveys, as well as designing the map and producing a short film about the project.

G2K
LIVE ran a series of workshops to enable a group of young people to create their own newsletter promoting Lambeth Council’s service in care.
Four issues were created over two years, all written, designed and produced by young people who had never tried journalism before.

Meet us!

2007-06-07T14:30:00.000+01:00

If you are interested in working with LIVE, we’d be happy to show you around our Brixton office and tell you a bit more about what goes on here. These are some of the faces you might see if you visit.

Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, 23
LIVE’s first real editor is too old for the magazine now. But when Jordan hit 21 he landed a job as the editor of ATM magazine, a national on-shelf dance music publication. Now at the ripe old age of 23, he rents a desk from us as a freelance journalist and club promoter extraordinaire, always on hand to give a bit of advice to the new generation in the LIVE ranks.

Callum McGeoch (age undisclosed)
One of LIVE’s first ever professional mentors, Callum left his job as Editor of Dazed and Confused magazine to come and work at LIVE and sister company Livity. His experience and industry insight helps LIVE’s management and young people make the best decisions both commercially and editorially, and provides a top-flight in-house mentor for the magazine’s editors.

Daniel Dutt-Hemp, 19
He’s not had the easiest of times for the last few years, but Dan is working hard to try and get himself back on track after falling in and out of trouble. His first major feature for LIVE – about the problems young people with dyslexia face – was a major achievement, especially considering Dan had to overcome his own difficulties with literacy to write it.

Emma Warren (age undisclosed)
Emma can often be seen rushing about between running workshops and editorial meetings, as well as spending lots of time working one-on-one with young people who are trying to find their next opportunity. None of this might be possible if Emma wasn’t an experienced freelance music journalist, who cut her teeth at The Face before going on to write for Muzik, The Observer and tons of other newspapers and magazines. Always having an interest in helping young people fulfill their potential, Emma recently joined LIVE as a senior mentor and education officer, with a focus on reaching some of the more at-risk young people out there.

Gareth McDill, 15
Never quite sure if the magazine was his thing, Gareth eventually found inspiration at a series of film workshops where he and a group of other young people came up with TPC: Tissue Paper Crew. Shot over a few weekends with budget only for a few rolls of toilet paper, TPC is a sharp satire on gun crime and gang culture in south London, straight from the hearts of young people whose peers are caught up in it. The film was screened at the NFT, celebrated by Timeout’s film editor, and Gareth is now involved in the production of a new film. Watch TPC here

Chantelle Fiddy (age unknown)
On the front line of working with the magazine’s team of young people, Chantelle gets the team’s energy and ideas flowing. When she’s not at LIVE, she regularly gets less than enough sleep in her hectic schedule as a freelance writer (with a weekly London Paper column), record label exec (for top independent 679 Records) and infamous blogger.

Mahta Hassansedah, 18
One of the quickest we’ve ever seen rise through the ranks, at only 18 Mahta became LIVE’s editor within months of first joining. She’s serious about becoming a journalist, and we reckon she’s got the writing skills and the drive to make it. Due to leave LIVE for university before long, we only wish we’d met her earlier.

Emma Ellwood-Russell (age unmentionable)
“Emma 2” joined barely a month after her namesake, having first met LIVE when she was production manager for the Dazed group, managing hundreds of pages and dozens of egos every month. She quit her job as brand manager at the integrated Marketing firm exposure to join LIVE, and brings a truck-load of expertise in production and contract publishing to the magazine, as well as some interesting anecdotes about meditation retreats in India.

A Short(ish) History of LIVE Futures

2007-06-06T14:25:00.000+01:00

The early years

In 2001, Sam Conniff and Michelle Clothier set up Livity, a youth marketing agency with a socially responsible ethos. Alongside O2 and PlayStation, one of Livity’s first contracts was to help Lambeth’s Youth Service communicate more effectively to the young people in the borough. The solution: to engage young people within the borough to produce the communication piece themselves.

With money from a range of local partners and a handful of journalists helping out, Livity recruited a team of local young people to write the articles and take the photos. The early editions featured some classic LIVE pieces: including a diary of two young people who had to look after a ‘fake’ baby for the week (and failed), and a piece of investigative journalism into how high street employers reacted to the way young people dressed when they came in looking for a job.

Finding its feet

Soon the word got out, both among the young people and the media. Livity grew and LIVE grew with it. More young people wanted to be part of it: to interview their local crew or star in a fashion shoot. More journalists heard what was going on and wanted to help out. Local youth magazines were nothing new, but LIVE had something extra: an energy and vivacity that came straight from the raw passion and determination of the young people involved. Our teenage editorial team had Ms Dynamite and Dizzee Rascal on the cover before most broadhsheets knew what urban music was.

While the finger was naturally kept tight on the cultural pulse of south London, LIVE’s writers also never shied away from approcahing controversial subjects. Beyond all the cliché and hyperbole written about the terror of urban youths, there were stark realities. Some were teenage parents. Some did know schoolmates whose parents were crack addicted. Some did have friends who had been involved in teenage gang rape. Most were worried about the amount of guns and knives on their streets. By addressing these issues they were helping themselves and their peers understand and discuss how to deal with life as a young person in Lambeth, as unique as any other British young person’s experience but with its own extra special challenges.

Crucially, the magazine was (and still is) produced from within Livity’s offices in central Brixton. The working environment created by the Livity team seemed to bring the best out in the young people who came to the office. This has been one of the key factors in the magazine’s success and the reason why LIVE’s contributors learn so much from the experience of working alongside us. Almost as much as we learn from them.

Big changes

By 2004, it was clear that LIVE had outgrown its original purpose. Lewisham Borough had shown an interest in the way the magazine reached an audience who were facing identical issues to the young people in their borough. LIVE doubled its distribution and the capacity and rose to 20,000 copies across south London, focused in Lambeth and Lewisham. LIVE also began its partnership with the Guardian/Observer group.

Most importantly, we realised that the young people working on the magazine were gaining a surprising amount of confidence, skills and ability through their experience with us. Either by working with mentor, going through three drafts of an article, or just learning how to behave in an office environment, we saw transformations happening.

The standard of journalism and design was also rising. LIVE had its first young graphic designer at the helm, in 19-year-old Zoe Adams. LIVE writers, under the editorship of Jordan Jarrett-Bryan and Cleo Soazandry, were interviewing the head of the youth BNP and covering controversial topics like homosexuality anmong the afro-carribean community, teenage gang rape, as well as crucial peer-led advice about drugs, STIs, contraception, and cautionary tales about crime.

Reaching capacity in terms of space and staff, we knew LIVE had to expand and access more funding. It was at that point LIVE ceased to be a Livity project and was incorporated as a not-for-profit company. Soon after we applied for a major grant from the European Social Fund, which we won. For the next two years, LIVE was to shift its emphasis towards delivering training and ‘outputs’ for this funding for a group of young people who were not in education, employment or training.

ESF funding

The aim of this grant was to help 24 young people who were not in education, employment or training to increase their confidence and get back on the ladder.

We recruited the team from across south London, and managed to attract an incredibly diverse group of young people, including refugees, single parents, ex-offenders, substance misusers and young people with disabilities. And among their number, and the challenges they faced, there emerged some of the most impressive, talented and inspirational young people we’ve ever worked with.

To hep deliver this programme, LIVE developed an accreditation system under the Open College Network, where units of NVQ-equivalent learning could be embedded within the activities young people were doing already. The curriculum covered graphic design, photography as well as music marketing and CV writing.

2007 onwards

The ALG project came to an end in March 2007, with lots of successes and lessons to be learned. We had had to learn our LDAs and NEETs from our FMCGs and NDAs, and embed a more rigorous monitoring and administration into the magazine. But we also met and worked with some incredible young people who we’ll never forget, many of whom we are still working with on their next steps.

Shortly afterwards, LIVE employed a new educational officer and senior mentor in Emma Warren, who, aside from her considerable experience as a journalist and writer, came aboard to deliver the OCN accreditation, help the young people with their exit strategies and develop referrals from more ‘at-risk’ groups.

That’s the story so far. After 6 years building the project from scratch, we now feel we’ve learned how we need to do things and where we need to be going. 2007 will see the emergence of a comprehensive business plan and strategy for LIVE’s future. Watch this space…

For all the latest developments, check the news section of this site

LIVE Mag: Key Stats

2007-06-05T14:18:00.000+01:00

-FREE 48-page glossy magazine with pull-out poster
-All editorial, photos, design, illustration produced by young people aged 21 and under
-20,000 copies printed every 3 months
-Distributed across south London into schools, colleges, health centres, youth clubs, libraries and peer-to-peer via street teams
-Funded mainly by Lambeth and Lewisham local authorities, including contributions from a range of local youth stakeholders
-Communicating messages about youth issues, local activities and services
-Estimated readership of up to 100,000 young people aged 12-21
-Online version of the magazine at www.live-magazine.co.uk

LIVE Magazine

2007-06-04T14:16:00.000+01:00

LIVE Magazine is produced for young people, by young people. An ever-changing team of voluntary teenagers and young adults write every word, design every page, take every photo, come up with every idea and are mentored in doing so by volunteer media professionals in an accredited, structured method of work based learning.

First and foremost, LIVE is for communicating with young people. Tons of paper is wasted every year trying to reach teenagers with messages about sex, drugs and crime. By giving control of the means of communication to the audience we are communicating to, LIVE goes under the radar. This is the real voice of young people, showing the world they see and talking about the things they are dealing with. Sometimes raw, sometimes close to the bone, but always positive.

Secondly, LIVE Magazine exists to improve the chances and lives of young people; to broaden their horizons; raise their sights; increase their self esteem, self belief and worth; to connect them to one another and the world; and ultimately to present them to and prepare them for and world of opportunities in education and employment they might not have otherwise seen.

LIVE works for you!

2007-06-03T14:15:00.000+01:00

With our young people, we have developed some key services and offerings for public and private sector clients. It’s a process where everybody wins. It provides payment and experience for the young people involved, revenue generated back into the social enterprise, and a creative, credible solution for our client.

Not to mention that warm tingly feeling of knowing your money is being invested into a social enterprise aimed at developing the skills and confidence of some of the UK’s most deprived young people.

Not that we need a sympathy vote. Our young people will come up with ideas that will blow you away, and the professional mentors working with them will make sure the product is delivered on time and to budget.

Here’s what we can do:

Contract publishing: the sharpest youth writing, fresh and bright design, with professional production and project management. LIVE’s team of professional journalists and designers work with young people to co-create the work.

Research and insight: opinion, trend-watching, focus groups, ethnographic evaluation. If you need the view from young people, get in touch.

Consultancy: if you’d like the people who started LIVE to help you engage young people, create brilliant communications aimed at young people or just to tell some bad jokes, LIVE’s directors are happy to discuss consultancy work.

For more information, download our media pack, or contact Emma Ellwood on 020 7326 5979

Why we do it

2007-06-02T14:10:00.000+01:00

You could call LIVE Futures’ objectives charitable, but we don’t want to rely on handouts. We channel our greatest asset and most exciting feature – the energy and creativity of the young people we work with – into sustaining and growing the business, in order to be able to provide many more opportunities for young people to get involved.

If we’re honest, we never set out for things to turn out the way they have. But we’re delighted they did. LIVE started as a small youth project producing a community magazine, but something went incredibly right. We ended up with a successful model of youth engagement and social enterprise, with hundreds of young people combining to create an atmosphere and product that is endlessly exciting, inspirational, refreshing, honest, informative and, above all else, enormous fun.

What we do

2007-06-01T14:09:00.000+01:00

Where to start?

Firstly, LIVE Futures publishes London’s biggest and most widely-read youth run publication, LIVE Magazine, created and run by young people under expert professional mentorship.

We’ve also run what is possibly the world’s first youth-run record label, LIVE Recordings, and begun a hands-off film-making project whose first short was screened at the NFT to critical acclaim.

One thing that separates us form most other youth projects is the fact that we share our office with sister company Livity, a socially-responsible youth marketing agency. That means media professionals working under the same roof as young people, and an incredible working atmosphere.

LIVE Futures aims to be a sustainable social enterprise, providing its own funding by generating revenue. We are a not for profit company funded by public money and our own money-making schemes, including youth-led research or contract publishing.

The links on this site will give you in-depth detail about all the things we do, and what we could do for you.