By Amber Ammouche
The Bold Source program is an initiative delivered by Brimbank Youth Services, aiming to amplify the voices of young people, providing them with a platform to share their art and stories. Now in its fifth issue The Bold Source magazine is targeted at young people aged 15 to 25 years with a connection to the area of Brimbank, whether that be living, working or hanging out.
Organiser of The Bold Source, Jen Park entered the experience relatively fresh to the world of youth facilitation being nervous at first. “Seeing young people’s passion for creativity and finding their purpose through creating the magazine helped put me at ease,” she says.
Ms Park has created a safe space “where the new team could get to know one another and guide a completely new direction of the magazine. Allowing editors to reach their full potential by giving them the confidence they needed to speak their ideas, push them into existence and discuss them with others.”
“Over a long period of time, I got to know their personalities and understand their life experiences which was amazing. Creativity is also a powerful tool for youth work, and we’re able to connect with and express our fears over the future, uncertainty, and life journey through words and art. It made being vulnerable easier,” she says.
The Bold Source has celebrated its fifth issue, Walks of Life, which editors came up with collaboratively as they found themselves worrying about the same things; choosing the right careers, picking a sensible degree to study, relationships or missed opportunities.
The overall message for the issue is that it’s okay to not know where you’re headed, and the struggles you face are just as important as the wins.
Creating a youth magazine is about a ten-month process. It involves editors meeting each other, discussing issues that young people talk about or struggles they’re faced with, to finding an interviewee, editing and designing the layout of the magazine.
“It’s a jam- packed program full of opportunities for young people, and to learn from seasoned professionals. It was exciting to watch the group of editors grow over the ten-month period and culminate with celebrating their efforts with an event,” says Jen.
One of the editors, Rubini Liakoureas says “The Bold Source has provided me with the confidence to up-skill and continue my writing. I found this experience fun, interesting and unforgettable as I got to do it with my best friend and it’s something we can both remember.”
If any young person aged 15 to 25, who lives, works or hangs out in the Brimbank area is interested in becoming an editor for future issues, and wants to learn new skills, connect with their beloved community, or hang out with like-minded people, this is the program for you!
Keep a lookout in your local areas for The Bold Source Issue 5: Walks of Life.
On behalf of the editors of The Bold Source we’d love to give a big thanks to Jen Park, Nicole Andrews, and Jess Mc Kenna from Brimbank Youth Services. Our interviewee Danyal Diallo, Magician Tim Mason, DJ Hope Alatipi, Rada the tarot card reader and everyone else behind the scenes.
“Whatever roadblocks or struggles we’re faced with, we have to find a way to move forward.”
