The new year brings new projects for the British Council. The institution is starting Power in the Voice as from next month, a programme aimed at allowing young people to express themselves on key contemporary issues? Young people as from 15 years old, performing artists (renowned and less known ones), writers, designers, translators, and teachers of English, music or drama are all intended to take part in this new project, which targets 35,000 young people in seven countries.

Over the next two years, participants from Mauritius, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the UK will be involved in a series of events aimed at developing their skills through shows, competitions, collaborative workshops, exhibitions and talks.

The Marketing Events & PR manager of the British Council, Yasmin Hedoo, insists that this is ?not another youth empowerment programme?. Through rap music, performance poetry and story-telling, Power in the Voice is aimed at providing a platform with a wide range of young people ? from different backgrounds, origins, and horizons ? together. The objective is to enable them to express their opinions on subjects important to them as well as the future generation. These issues could be crime or unemployment, HIV, drugs and substance abuse? They will be provided with a forum to share views on such issues and compare their own situation with that of others in their own country, in some African countries as well as the UK. This programme is not only expected to promote greater understanding between the youth but also to increase their interest and ability in using English.

Challenge assumptions

The programme will be divided into some specific projects. For instance, there will be a minimum of 18 schools/youth centres per country participating in a series of knockout competitions leading to local finals. The final, known as PIV International, will be the culmination of the knockout competitions with the finals in 2008 where the winners of each country will come together.

But this will not stop there; over the next two years, there will be a series of ?voice fairs? including workshops, performances, and soapbox oratory. Supplementary projects include a dedicated website and a CD of anthology of performance, curriculum development in drama and music.

The project will be launched in each country next month with the start of collaborative workshops. The schools and groups should be selected in February and March for the youth competition while the knockout stages of competition will go from March to December along with the voice fairs.

The grand final of the youth competition at country level will take place in February 2008 before the preparation for PIV international in March and April. Finally, in May, the PIV International will bring together the seven winners (one from each country) who will confront each other for the selection of the ?overall winner?.

Through this original programme, the British Council hopes to encourage the younger generation to challenge assumptions. The exchanges with other African countries will also be beneficial to address the Africa agenda?