Teenagers from the borough interviewed each other and edited together their views on music, health and negative media portrayals of black British men

A podcast made by - and featuring- young Hackney men has created a powerful platform to hear the lived experience of what it’s like growing up black and British.

Raised in Hackney was made by 20 young men and boys from the borough and produced by local arts venue Hoxton Hall.

The four episode podcast features six 13-18-year-olds talking about issues affecting them, from mental health, to music, to negative media portrayals of black men as perpetrators of crime, and whether it’s ever ok to use the ‘N-word’.

Hackney’s deputy mayor Cllr Antoinette Bramble called it “an extremely important piece of work bringing to light the lived experiences of young black men and boys in Hackney through their own words.”

Lead facilitator, Christian Nembhard explained: “Participants didn’t just discuss the issues; they interviewed each other and edited the episodes, which helped them develop new skills including interviewing techniques, using editing software, public speaking, self-care, cultural awareness and team building.”

Hoxton Hall’s artistic director Karena Johnson said the podcast had offered the young men taking part “an authentic voice” and said she hoped to develop the scheme to give other communities a chance to share their thoughts and views about living in Hackney.

Raised in Hackney can be downloaded now. hoxtonhall.co.uk/uncategorized/raised-in-hackney/

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