WAYout WORLDWIDE ARTS YOUTH

WAYout changes the lives of street and vulnerable youth in Sierra Leone through the arts. We offer free training and facilities in music, media, writing and design that enable the excluded to re-engage, promote artistic freedom, education and empowerment. WAYout was formed in 2008, our first studio opened in 2012 and we have worked with over 5000 18-35 year olds. Core activities are free music studio, media, writing and photography courses and outreach in provincial communities. We have an open door policy and no time limit. Employability skills are developed, empowering youth to get heard. We partner other NGOs, have made over 350 films and got 100 off the streets. In 2008 there was 60... read more WAYout changes the lives of street and vulnerable youth in Sierra Leone through the arts. We offer free training and facilities in music, media, writing and design that enable the excluded to re-engage, promote artistic freedom, education and empowerment. WAYout was formed in 2008, our first studio opened in 2012 and we have worked with over 5000 18-35 year olds. Core activities are free music studio, media, writing and photography courses and outreach in provincial communities. We have an open door policy and no time limit. Employability skills are developed, empowering youth to get heard. We partner other NGOs, have made over 350 films and got 100 off the streets. In 2008 there was 60% youth unemployment in Sierra Leone(World Bank). In 2012, there were over 50,000 street youth. Young, homeless men - the majority of WAYout's client group - are largely in gangs, disgruntled - seen as trouble and cast out and considered to be rebels of the future - stigmatised and unable to break the prejudice. Young women in these positions are largely forced into sex work. We are not aware of anyone other projects working with hardcore gangs and long term street dwellers. WAYout quite literally, changes many lives from crime to career; from hopelessness to self confidence. Digital media, music, design and the arts are areas that can be engaged with even for someone with no literacy skills. We now have members from all the gangs (cliques) in Freetown and are a neutral zone for learning. Members not only learn skills, they also learn codes of conduct and work ethics. Digital media and design are growth industries and WAYout has trained young people who now work for broadcasters in Sierra Leone. We are the only organisation offering completely free training as far as we know. We offer housing grants and have got 100 off the streets.We encourage group discussion andopen communication and all staff have come up through WAYout which encourages members to believe in themselves.Our experience shows that it takes 2 years for hardcore street youth to realise they can learn something and another three years training after that. This past year we introduced a mobile music studio to reach the provinces. We started taking it into the prison which houses 1000 inmates and very quickly the prison invited us to set up a WAYout there. Inmates engaged were less troublesome and had something to work towards when they get out. We are now fundraising to do this. We published two poetry anthologies of poems from the streets which are accepted into the National Poetry Library and many of the poets have been published in magazines and even shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Award. We are organising Sierra Leone's first poetry Slam. We were recognised as a leader in organisations working with the arts and homeless people and were invited to the With1Voice summit in the UK where WAYout member Mash P recorded a Homeless track featuring homeless people from all over the world. . The acclaimed Unseen photography exhibition was in London, Manchester and then USA in 2019. We made a feature film which was in the Out of Africa Film Festival. We have started women's filmmaking workshops in the provinces making films on sexual health, teenage pregnancy and FGM. Current daily members - 250; new members using music studio, media or poetry facilities 1350 ; volunteer groups -660. Not including those who benefit from greater outreach potential. One of our partners is Music Action International who have an ongoing programme with us. Our poetry group goes from strength to strength and poetry helps with literacy and gives the opportunity to express yourself requiring only pen and paper. Partnerships with MAI and Advocaid and the Beats Bus.