Youth in Lockdown: get involved!
We’re working in partnership with the Oxford is my Home Project by OPL and Open House Oxford, to put together a collection of art works and writing by young people in Oxfordshire, so you can express your experience of being in lockdown. Here’s everything you need to know to get involved, and become a contributer.
Who can take part?
If you’re a young person (think around 13-25) living anywhere in Oxfordshire, we want to hear from you!
How do I submit my work?
If at all possible, please send your work to us digitally, either by sending us the digital file or by scanning or taking a photo of your work. You can send your contributions to hello@oxfordshirediscovery.co.uk with ‘YOUTH IN LOCKDOWN’ in the subject, or use a service like WeTransfer for bigger files.
We know that some people wont have access to a scanner or camera, so if there’s no alternative you can send us the original work by post. Be aware that it may take some time for your contribution to reach us. Please make it very clear if you’d like your work returned to you (include the address to return it to!), and be aware that we wont be able to do this immediately. You can send your work to Elmore, 213 Barns Road, Oxford, OX4 3UT. Make sure to put ‘FAO Discovery College: YOUTH IN LOCKDOWN’ on the envelope.
What should I send in?
We’ll be as flexible as we can, so that you can express yourself however you like! We want to know what your experience of lockdown and the pandemic is, but you can get creative and use your skills and hobbies to communicate this in lots of different ways. You could do paintings or sketches of your home or the people you live with. You could take photographs of yourself or your neighbours (keeping your distance, of course!). You could write journal entries, song lyrics, poems or letters. You could create a short story, sculptures, collages.
What information do you need with my submission?
Please tell us your name, your age, and roughly where in the county you live (eg: Abingdon). If there’s other information you’d like to provide about your artwork, such as a title, the materials you used, or what it was inspired by, feel free to include that too.
Is there a particular topic I need to focus on?
Not really; just how the lockdown and the pandemic has affected you. You might talk about the impact on your mental health, what you and your family or housemates are doing to pass the time, your thoughts on how it’s effecting the planet or your community, things you’re noticing about where you live… it’s entirely up to you!
What will happen with the collection?
The first step is that the artworks will be pieced together into a digital book or zine, and made available online. We’re working closely with the Oxford Poetry Library and Open House Oxford to display submissions on a website for the Oxford is my Home Project.
The second step will be to have hard copies printed into a physical book or zine, and we’re currently trying to secure some funding to do this. If you know of anyone who may be able to help, please put them in touch!
