Fri 30 Mar 2012 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Benjamin Watt Participants are being sought for a new youth-led project to record the coming out stories and experiences of queer people aged between 18 and 25. ‘Q12 The Tour’ is the brainchild of Benjamin Watt, who has recently finished studying at the New Zealand Radio Training School and is a volunteer with Rainbow Youth. PrideNZ.com and Rainbow Youth are helping him manage and resource the project. In July Benjamin will be touring ten centres around the North Island recording fifty interviews. “I want to hear as many different experiences from the gay, lesbian, queer, trans, takataapui and MVPFAFF communities” he says. The project is about celebrating youth perspectives and trying to foster a greater sense of belonging for our young people in both urban and rural communities. “This is an opportunity to inspire debate around issues that youth face today in the variety of communities they live and work in” says Rainbow Youth Executive Director Thomas Hamilton. “It’s also an important media project that can connect our young people to their elders.” The pilot project is being funded through a number of private donations via PrideNZ.com. “We see this as significant pilot project that we would love to see extend throughout the country” says PrideNZ.com administrator Gareth Watkins. “Benjamin’s energy and engagement are really inspiring. Our hope is that this project will increase the profile of youth issues and give a sense of community to young people who are maybe feeling isolated”. The interviews from the road trip will be available on both rainbowyouth.org.nz and the not-for-profit PrideNZ.com. The regions that Watt will visit between July and September are Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-Whanganui and Wellington. If you’re interested in being interviewed please get in contact with Benjamin via Rainbow Youth, or email ben@pridenz.com or on Facebook: Q12TheTour. Watt has already completed twenty interviews with young people in Auckland which can be heard on the PrideNZ.com website You can discuss this gay New Zealand community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 30th March 2012 - 9:42am