“Anything you say, will be used against you!” : The necessary place for creative expression and language as an outlet for young people, and the criminal act of criminalising them

Sobers, Shawn

Abstract

Keynote speech exploring the importance of nurturing and protecting creative spaces and opportunities for young people, and for that creativity to not become stigmatised and criminalised. Shared examples of how various forms of music, dance, film, and other creative expressions have become criminalised and clamped down on, making young people feel ostracised with no-where left to turn. Discussed the hypocrisy in how certain forms of creativity is clamped down on, and how other parallel similar forms are embraced and celebrated. Shared direct exampled of how the Metropolitan Police has invested heavily into clamping down on Drill music with the aim of tackling violent crime. Ended with a polemical conclusion my views about attention and investment should be concentrated, and why focusing on clamping down on music to try and tackle violent crime is a futile exercise.

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Conference Name: Violence Reduction Partnership 3rd Annual Conference: Music, Language & Social Media
• Start Date: Mar 8, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 11, 2024
• Keywords: knife crime, violent crime, drill music, young people, creative arts, performing arts, censorship, criminal justice
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11793025