Use Your Voice: Engaging young people to register to vote

<Panelist>

Abi Wilkinson

Freelance journalist, The Guardian

@AbiWilks https://www.theguardian.com/profile/abi-wilkinson

Discussion:"How can we make sense of politics in the digital age?"

Abi is a freelance journalist writing about politics, inequality, gender and popular culture. She joined Gemma Styles and other online journalists from BuzzFeed, gal-dem and Vice to tackle the hugely complex issue of politics in the digital age.

<Panelist>

Anna Rose Barker

Chair, British Youth Council

@AnnaRoseBarker http://www.byc.org.uk/

Focus:“Should politics be taught at secondary schools?”

Anna is Chair of the British Youth Council , the National Youth Council of the UK. A youth-led charity, they empower young people aged 25 and under to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives. A panelist at Use Your Voice election event, she explored whether politics should be taught in schools.

<Panelist>

Areeq Chowdhury

Chief Executive, WebRoots Democracy

@areeqchowdhury https://webrootsdemocracy.org/

Discussion:“Shouldn’t politics belong to everyone?"

Areeq is CEO of WebRoots Democracy (the Institute for Digital Democracy), a think tank aiming to modernise and future-proof democracy in the UK. Previous to WebRoots, Areeq was Parliamentary Assistant to Graham Allen MP. At Use Your Voice, he and panelists discussed why politics needs to be more inclusive and open to all.

<Panelist>

Danny Fahey

Founder at Thirty Pound Gentleman

@thirtypoundgent http://www.thirtypoundgentleman.com/

Discussion:"Shouldn't politics belong to everyone?"

Danny is Founder at Thirty Pound Gentleman. Thirty Pound Gentleman delivers cultural and creative experiences, the opportunity for young people to lead.

<Panelist>

Gemma Styles

writer

@GemmaAnneStyles

Discussion:"Use Your Voice: Event wrap up"

Gemma is a writer and online influencer with a following of millions on Twitter and Instagram. She was a panelist on "UseYourVoice" screening, a short film that explores political disenfranchisement of the younger generation. The film was followed by a series of short interviews live on stage, mixed with talks and audience discussions with thought leaders across media, education, politics.

<Panelist>

Isaiah Hall

Poet and rapper

Focus:"Why do young people feel especially disconnected from politics?"

Isaiah is a writer from Manchester. A member of Manchester-based poetry collective ‘Young Identity’ since mid 2010 his growth as a performance poet has been noted by the likes of poet rock-star Kate Tempest as well as Grimes own overlord Skepta. Drawing on his personal experience, he tackled the question at Use Your Voice: “Why do young people feel especially disconnected from politics?”


<Panelist>

Joe Hayman

Author

@JoeHayman http://britishjourney.org.uk/

Focus:"Should politics be taught at secondary schools?”

Former Chief Executive of the PSHE Association, a national charity specialising in life skills education for young people, Joe is a British writer. His book 'Brexit Britain' is a portrait of the UK from the perspective of its people. In 2012, he published the acclaimed 'British Voices', which looked at the state of UK society in the wake of the 2011 riots.

<Panelist>

Leah Cowen

Journalist and playwright

@La_Cowan https://t.co/cNE56jMAUc

Focus:"How can we make sense of politics in the new media age?"

Leah Politics Editor at gal-dem, a creative collective and magazine (online and in print) comprised of over 70 women and non-binary people of colour. She is also an activist and playwright, and was a panelists at Use Your Voice, tackling the question "How can we make sense of politics in the new media age?"

<Host>

Billie JD Porter

Writer, filmmaker and TV presenter

@billiejdporter

Passionate about empowering young people and giving them a voice on issues that matter to them, Billie is a critically acclaimed writer, documentary film maker and presenter for organisations including BBC 3 and Channel 4.

<Panelist>

Hannah Clare

Co-chair of the Young Green Party

@hannalytical

Discussion:"Use Your Voice: Event wrap up"

Hannah was a panelist on "UseYourVoice" screening, a short film that explores political disenfranchisement of the younger generation. The film was followed by a series of short interviews live on stage, mixed with talks and audience discussions with thought leaders across media, education, politics.

<Panelist>

Kenny Imafidon

Bite the Ballot, Political commentator, social entrepreneur and activist

@KennyImafidon LinkedIn

Kenny is the co-founder & Managing Director of ClearView Research Ltd, a leading-edge youth-led research company, who specialise in research focussing on young people. Described by Huffington Post UK as a “young rising star making waves in UK politics,” Kenny has written influential & award-winning publications and has led on innovative partnerships with global brands.

<Panelist>

Lord Jim Knight

Chief Education Adviser at TES Global Ltd, a member of the House of Lords and a visiting Professor at the Knowledge Lab of the UCL Institute of Education.

@jimpknight https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-knight-of-weymouth/4160