How to make a youth forum more interesting? Put it in a Ferris wheel! Working with Miles Openshaw from the Globe Town Project, the Fremantle SWITCH ( Youth Advisory Council)  ran a series of workshops with other YACs in the lead up to the forum, to explore issues affecting young people. The themes developed in the workshops were used to create the Ferris Forum which was run as part of the SWITCH it up event which closed National youth week. On the day, mixed groups of five people entered the ferris wheel for a rapid fire, seven minute long discussion about the most pressing issues for youth today. It’s hoped the short amount of time riders will have in the wheel will produce genuine and candid responses that other mediums fail to uncover. Above Photo: Minister for Youth Hon Peter C Tinley and Mayor of Fremantle Dr Brad Pettitt participating with young people in the Ferris Forum. Photo credit facebook.com/freoyouth Response collection team After discussions in the wheel, the results were collected via video and survey …

These guys are great!  They have come a long way in six months. The structure for SWITCH and YAC11 is complete and elections are happening right now. While this has been going on the SWITCH have been involved in many events, issues and forums such as: Mental health week, Millennium Kids, representing youth within the BID, donating to #itsinthebag campaign, and lobbing for local issues. I can’t wait to see what they do next!