After many years of successes and collaborations at Inspired Youth, Liam Powers aka Kritikal Powers leaves his role at Inspired Youth Arts at the end of October. Here are a few words of reflection from Liam followed by a reflection from Kev Curran Director and co founder of Inspired Youth.
Liam Powers – “I have enjoyed my time at Inspired Youth and it has been a humbling experience to meet so many people from different walks of life. This has inspired me to explore other ways of making a difference and I have decided to pursue a career in counselling.
I walked through the door of Inspired Youth almost 5 years ago with no skills other than my ability to communicate a message through the form of lyricism. I had no belief in myself and wasn’t sure how well I would adapt to a new way of working in a creative setting. I kept an open mind and tried my best to learn as much as I possibly could not just about the third sector but also about the practical skills I needed to deliver the high quality outputs that Inspired Youth had already been doing for years.
I quickly learnt how to use a camera and watched Kev as he would edit films, present to groups of people and write session plans. I studied how he would engage with participants and paid attention to every other aspect of the organisation.
As time went by and I became more confident in my own abilities, I started to use my initiative to suggest ideas for future projects and was able to take on more responsibilities within the organisation. This made a massive impact on me as I started to feel like I was really contributing to the growth of the organisation.
My skills in lyricism brought a new aspect to the work Inspired Youth delivered and I am really proud to have been able to contribute such an important way of communicating messages and pass on the skills required to do what I do to participants.
Time and time again I have seen the impact our work has had on the people we work with and it has been an absolute honor to be part of such an incredible organisation. This work MUST continue now more than ever as more and more people struggle in society and feel that they are not listened to.
I have worked with a lot of disadvantaged groups of people with a variety of social issues over the last 5 years. This work has made me understand people more, why they are the way they are and ultimately made me realise the power of stories and how much people have to say given the opportunity to share their voices.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank every single participant and staff member that I have ever had the privilege of working with. Your stories have inspired me to become the best version of myself. I truly appreciate every single one of you.
Below: BigThinking.org.uk Tour 2018
Finally, I would like to thank Kev who gave me an opportunity when nobody else would. You saw something in me that I couldn’t see myself. You gave me the chance to showcase my abilities and taught me how to make an impact with my story. You have shown me that my story matters. You gave me your time, helped me progress in my music career and always believed in me and I am forever grateful to you.
I am extremely grateful to everyone that has been part of this journey and I would still very much like to keep in contact with you all.
Together Kev and I have worked together on projects that have made a resounding impact and I am proud to have been a part of the Inspired Youth legacy.
I continue to completely support the work Inspired Youth do in the community and I still plan to be involved in future projects on a freelance basis, so I hope that one day we will be able to work together again! I wish you all happiness and success with your futures.
Take care,
Liam ‘Kritikal’ Powers
Kev Curran – “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Liam for all of his work at Inspired Youth and fully support Liam’s decision to pursue new and exciting avenues in his career. I have watched Liam grow as a person and take on challenges that at first he did not believe he could achieve and it has been a pleasure to see his potential unfold. Liam has made a huge difference in the community using the power of music as a tool to inspire change and build peoples confidence. I have the greatest amount of respect for Liam and everything he has achieved in his role at Inspired Youth but also as an artist in his own right and more importantly as a person. I have no doubt he will continue to make an impact in whatever he puts his heart and mind to and I genuinely look forward to seeing is story to continue to unfold.”
Kev Curran, Director Inspired Youth