Delivering community based projects that promote our core values:

• Opportunity
• Equality
• Diversity
• Sustainability

Our team has the skills and experience to engage in the areas and communities that are most in need. We make sure that projects enthuse and empower community members and always seek to work with local leaders and residents.

Methodology

We make sure we learn from people on the ground first and then work up from there to develop community engagement that has real social benefits and leaves a permanent legacy.

Recent Projects

Finsbury Arts Festival Saturday 15th June 2013

Working with local residents, Talk Action is currently organising this years community arts festival in partnership with St.Lukes Community centre. This years event will include an amazing array of local musicians, artists, dancers, the LSO Youth Choir and a whole range of interactive craft and green wood working workshops.
New for 2013 is the 'Literary Tea Salon', curated by Ten Thousand Tambourines, which includes 10 minute power-talks on music, philosophy and art.
To take part in the festival contact Jonathan on 0207 324 4774 or email jelliott@talkaction.org
For more details see Finsbury Arts Festival

Engaging Diverse Communities (University of the Arts) 2012

Talk Action worked with 30 Student Halls Social Reps on event management skills and to help them engage with marginalised student residents. The Reps developed their own social activities that looked at inclusiveness regarding accessibility, race, religion, cultural and ethnic diversity, gender and sexuality. Participants also set-out plans to work with local residents, community groups and charities to improve relationships with students living within the community.

Community Performance stage at The Havering Show 2012

The show attracts over 40,000 people over the bank holiday weekend and Talk Action gives local amateur and young performers the opportunity to perform at a major London festival. The project also brought local youth classical music students together to perform with members of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Community Development - Finsbury Arts Festival & Event Management Training (2011-12)

In 2011/2012 Talk Action ran a series of workshops training young people and community members in events management, culminating in the Finsbury arts and music festival in Islington. The main focus of the project was to improve the lives of the most vulnerable ‘hard-to-reach’ young people and community members by increasing their confidence, providing them with new skills, and inspiring them to create positive change within their communities. The project was in partnership with St.Luke’s Community Centre steering group (25 people of mixed age, race and ethnicity), with funding from Awards for All.

You can see films of the workshops and event itself at www.finartsfest.org.uk

Training Topics
Event planning
Budgeting (plus set design)
Marketing and design
Funding, sponsors, freebies
Licensing - Health & safety/Risk Assessment/Safety Management
Film making
Management on Day & site management (plus Stewards, volunteers & Security)

Friends of the Earth 'Power Up' (2010 & 2011)

Talk Action worked with Friends of the Earth on their ‘Power Up’ events in 2010 & 2011. This residential training weekend increased the legal capacity of local residents to influence decisions affecting their communities.

Defra ‘Climate Challenge’ project (2009)

We ran a project to train young people to communicate climate change at Respect and Rise Festivals to over 70,000 people!
Participants learnt communication techniques and developed their very own ideas that were put in to practice at the outdoor events. Their activities included a hydrogen powered cinema; video booth that filmed people dancing in 'I'm hot enough - cool the climate' t-shirts and footage was then shown on the main stage screens; Climate Medics to give advice; a giant mural and various costumes and quizzes.

There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of generations into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the ‘practice of freedom’, the means by which men and women deal critically with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.

Jane L. Thompson, drawing on Paulo Freire