Making A Way Through Education (Short Version) Real voices reflect on education, pressure, bullying, foster care, exclusion, dyslexia, ADHD and the impact of being pushed out of school. This storyline explores how young people, especially Black boys, could be labelled as a problem before their needs were properly understood — and how education, when made accessible, can change the direction of someone’s life. Part of a Red Light Busking oral history project - Kanda Vol.1 Bedroom Shut Music Up exploring Waltham Forest, African Caribbean experiences, youth culture, education and the criminal justice system. Content note: this audio includes references to racism, imprisonment, mental health, exclusion and difficult lived experiences. Made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players. For details on our next event visit https://www.redlightbusking.com/event

In this powerful clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speaker reflects on growing up feeling abandoned, being placed in foster care, and the emotional impact of not having a present adult. They speak honestly about what children from difficult backgrounds need: communication, consistency, safety and someone who shows them something different. By the time they reached secondary school, they had already stopped believing education would lead anywhere. This story asks an important question: how many young people are written off before anyone really understands what they have survived?

Reality Check - Written and performed by Jeremiah "Kaydeen" Chester Produced by Taeden "TC" Petrie is part of the sound tracks released as part of our exhibition called Red Light Busking presents Kanda Vol.1 Bedroom Shut Music Up. An immersive, music-heavy exhibition exploring why music like grime was created and whether it was a reaction to, or a reflection of, life caught up in the criminal justice system, and what wider forces in society were at play... For more details on the event please visit our page https://www.redlightbusking.com/blog/categories/kanda-vol-1-bedroom-shut-music-up

The over representation of African Caribbeans in the criminal justice system (short version) This powerful oral history explores the over representation of African Caribbeans in the criminal justice system through real voices connected to Waltham Forest. Contributors reflect on policing, racial profiling, prison sentences, youth offending institutions, street economies, family separation and the long-term impact of criminalisation on Black communities. The storyline asks difficult questions about justice, opportunity, money, belonging and the systems that shape young people’s lives. Part of a Red Light Busking oral history project Kanda Vol.1 Bedroom Shut Music Up exploring Waltham Forest, African Caribbean experiences, youth culture and the criminal justice system. Content note: this audio includes references to racism, imprisonment, violence, drug use, mental health and difficult lived experiences. Made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players. For details for our next event please visit https://www.redlightbusking.com/event