Youth work - Living in a gangsta's paradise

Giving black urban music a positive message is not always an easy task. But that's the aim every night at the Young Disciples project in Birmingham. Situated in Lozells, an area notorious for riots between Asian and black youths in 2005, the project allows young people to express themselves through music, film and sport. Project co-ordinator Jason Sylvester readily admits that when a young person walks through the door, the rapping may at first sound very negative. Music reflects their lives and is an extension of the postcode wars, he says.

Musical education

"Each area has got its own musical culture and gang affiliation when they're saying their bars," he reveals, using the slang term for rapping. The project was set up in 2001 by Marc Edwards and became a limited company in 2004. Over the years, its youth workers have learned to be patient with new arrivals.