Action research intervention with young people: a city council's response

Objective: Interventions with young people at risk use a range of programmes. We describe how a group of young people came to perform their stories publicly. In this paper, we consider their local City Council and a change in its thinking. Methods: The project is built upon ideas of community development that incorporate techniques such as Public Conversations and a commitment to prioritising the voices of the young people under scrutiny. The project as a whole is based on action research. We helped to establish a youth-led group of 10 people (13'22 years) to work with three experienced theatre personnel. In documenting the sessions through videotaping and interviewing individuals including councillors, we were able to document some consequences of the intervention on the young people and on their community. Results: In evaluating the impact of the processes put in place, we trace changes from resistance to the employment of a youth coordinator to financing such a position by the local council. Conclusions: We consider issues about evaluating interventions so as to emphasise the need for reflecting on innovative ways of documenting associated social change.