We’ve been working hard in Halton, in partnership with the Illegal Money Lending Team, to raise awareness of the dangers of Illegal Lenders (a.k.a. Loan Sharks). There are an estimated 310,000 households across the country that are in debt to loan sharks. Halton has a significant problem with Illegal Money Lenders, due to high poverty rates and low wages for paid workers.  

We have collaborated with young people from Widnes and Runcorn to create digital posters, warning people of the dangers of illegal money lending. The designs from these posters will be collated by Zap Graffiti to make a large mural piece of art, which will be painted onto the floor of Widnes Market.

The painting will be a live event, filmed by the BBC for their program Ill Gotten Gains (which airs in 2020). We would like to invite the children of Halton to participate in the live painting of the mural, working with Zap Graffiti. The children can also get involved in making their own pin badges, whilst watching the mural masterpiece take shape.

The day will also have representatives from the Illegal Money Lending Team, Credit Union and Halton Police ready to give advice should anyone need it.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it, we will also be live-streaming the event on our MakoDigital Arts CiC Facebook and our MakoCreate Facebook pages.

We hope to see you there, Saturday 12th October 2019 from 9:00am.

 

 

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Two men are interacting during a digital workshop. One man, seated and wearing a dark blue jumper, holds a digital pen. The other man, standing and wearing a light blue "Digital Arts Box" t-shirt, leans over with an iPad in hand, demonstrating something on the screen, which is facing away from the camera.
What first drew you to attend one of our workshops, and what do you remember most about that experience as a young person?

 

The first time I joined a session was when I was invited to take part in The Big Music Project. It was a collaboration between The Studio and Mako Create, and I was part of a group of young people taking part. I remember being blown away by how much we got to do. It was actually the first time I’d ever used an iPad! I left that first session really excited about what technology could do. I even came home and told my 7-year-old brother that as soon as he was old enough, I’d be signing him up too. I eventually did, mainly so I could go with him and fly drones!

 

In what ways do you think taking part in the workshops influenced your confidence, skills, or direction at that time in your life?

 

Those early sessions definitely helped build my confidence. As part of The Big Music Project, I got the chance to perform some of my songs at an event and even interview other artists who were performing. I loved it. We also got to go on a trip to London, which sparked my interest in travelling and exploring new places.

How did your journey from participant to team member unfold, and what does it mean to you now to be delivering workshops yourself?

 

After watching Mako Create and Digital Arts Box grow over the years, I was always really motivated to work with them. So when the opportunity came up, I didn’t hesitate. I’d always been impressed by how fun the sessions looked, and I was curious about what went on behind the scenes. Now that I’m part of the team delivering those workshops, it means a lot to be able to give young people the same kind of experience that meant so much to me.

James’s story is a brilliant example of how creative tech programmes can open doors. What started as a fun workshop experience has grown into a career helping others discover their own potential.

We hope his journey inspires other young people to explore creative technology and maybe even return one day to lead workshops of their own!

 

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