Musicians Making a Difference (MMAD), in collaboration with creative studio Supermassive, has announced ‘Futures’ – an audio-based rehabilitative programme disguised as a hip hop radio station – developed exclusively for young people in juvenile detention to help disrupt cycles of reoffending.
Developed in partnership with Youth Justice NSW, ‘Futures’ can be accessed through in-room audio, classrooms and key social areas, delivering 24/7 audio programming designed to support rehabilitation through music, mentorship and storytelling.
Futures’ rehabilitative initiatives are cleverly wrapped in the music and culture the young audience loves, through innovative shows like ‘Friday Freestyle’, which plays beats for kids to write their own lyrics to as a stealth form of journaling, and ‘Cons and Pros’ – a talk show that interviews ex-convicts about their life lessons, regrets, and journeys to redemption.
Designed to uplift and encourage listeners to engage and realise their full potential – it’s already making a difference.
“Music has the power to transform lives for the better,” said MMAD Co-Founder Dominic Brook, who has worked with detainees as young as 11.
“Through ‘Futures’, the transformation has been powerful – as one psychologist told us, a boy who struggled with reading, writing, and speaking has made huge progress through being part of the ‘Futures’ crew. One young man even made it into the top 20 for the MMAD Sony Star program, after reaching out to us on his very first day of release. We see this program as not only building skills, but also opening up opportunities to create meaningful content around mental health and other important conversations for all young people.”
Youth Justice staff and clients have described ‘Futures’ as one of their most effective initiatives, and following a 12 month pilot in Cobham Youth Justice Centre, the vision now is to expand the initiative to other detention centres across the state and country, and ultimately, to be run entirely by former detainees.
Minister for Youth Justice Jihad Dib says: “‘Futures’ is a remarkable initiative designed to help young people in custody find their voice, develop new skills and build self-esteem.
“Through programs such as ‘Futures’, we can help young people find their voice and empower them to make real and lasting transformation in their lives. It is only by working with young people to find new pathways to the future that we can truly reduce the chances of them re-offending.”
Supermassive Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jon Austin says: “Youth rehabilitation is notoriously challenging, but the same principles of engagement still apply. People are more likely to pay attention when the message takes the shape of the things they love, and plays in the spaces they respect. ‘Futures’ was built on this premise, and it’s proving effective already. We set out with the hope of getting young people in detention centres listening to an average of one hour a week. The latest reports show they’re listening to an average of 14 hours a week.”
Futures’ sonic identity and idents were produced by audio production house MassiveMusic, with talent and input from young people involved in MMAD’s programs.
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