It doesn’t often come up in conversation - the phrase, ‘I’d love to be a teenager again’. What we often hear, however, is ‘I’d hate to be a teenager today’.
But why is that?
In today's fast-paced world, the pressures on young people are greater than ever. Social media, academic demands, existential threats, and the relentless barrage of information create a labyrinthian world that can be overwhelming.
Research shows that today’s adolescents face an array of unique challenges that demand resilience, self-awareness, and strong communication skills to navigate successfully. And this is where VoiceLab shines.
As an active research programme aligned with Prima Volta Trust (PVT) objectives, VoiceLab became an integral part of PVT's offerings in 2018. It aims to drive social, educational, and youth outcomes through shared ‘arts–formed’ practice and insights, developing tools, resources, and running pilots with this focus. Leveraging the transformative power of the human voice, along with insights from Project Prima Volta (PPV) and the Festival Opera platform, VoiceLab takes an innovative approach to personal development. It explores how arts-based methodologies can enhance community wellbeing, educational engagement and attainment, and social cohesion, offering the community much more varied and meaningful arts-informed exchange than the traditional creator-consumer transaction.
The VoiceLab team collaborates closely with kura (schools), community advisors, and other partners to understand and respond to key challenges. This co-design process ensures that the solutions developed are authentic, creative, and empowering, meeting community challenges head-on.
