SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

A UNIQUE two-day event showed us that although you might post saw young women from pictures that you think are funny, other people might take the meaning of them a across Wigan Borough different way. exploring the meanings of “I’ve learned that I should be careful on sexual exploitation. things like Facebook and not to accept anyone I don’t know as a friend just because they have a Kim Curless, Wigan Council’s Positive nice Activities for Young People Co-ordinator, picture.” and Youth Worker Kath Thompson, said Ali Kahn after the event: “This has been an excellent from the Big forum for young people to explore these Comedy issues, which in turn will allow them to Shop ran make informed choices to keep workshop themselves safe. sessions “It’s such a vast issue but we’ve put it throughout into context and got the young women Whether it be through music, the the two days. She said: “We’re not trying together in a safe environment to look at internet, advertising or simply text to scare these young women, we are the impact this subject has on them. messaging, the girls looked at the way in trying to educate them. “It has been about educating them on which women can be exploited in “It has been a really great event and the what sexual exploitation is and everyday life. girls have really been opening up about empowering them to say, no I don’t want The event raised awareness of the how they feel to be young women.” it to happen to me.” issues and empowered the young women to make their own choices about the subject. Marsh Green Girls’ rap The young women took part in Don’t have sex for cheques workshops examining how women were Marsh Green Girls It’s so much easier to send portrayed in the media. Group attended the a text Stop yourself before you g They also looked at how to stay safe on sessions and made o with the flow There is another the internet, and saw the ways in which way you can go their own rap on Don’t be asham ed by the way that you look sexual exploitation. Beca use of the people in the book One of the group, 14 year old Don’t take pictu res of yourself in the shower Leah Unsworth, said: “We’ve been Just to sh ow them who has the power given loads of great advice like Ce lebrities today are showing so standing up for yourself and not much flesh But do they really look bet letting anyone force you to do ter wearing less? We gotta spread the w what you don’t want to do. ord across the nation. Sexua “We want to take it further l exploitation... now. We want to make the rap By Abbie Hughes into a video and we are planning to , Alicia Lowery, Tanya Hilton, Stacey Un go to an event at the town hall to sworth, Leah Unsworth and R things like Facebook pictures can be achael take about the issue some more.” Glynn. exploited even if you think they are bit of fun. Chantelle Seenan, 16, from Tyldesley, said: “We’ve learnt that sexual exploitation is many things, like the way women are shown in newspapers and on TV. But it’s not just women, men can also be exploited. “We’ve also learned to watch how we are acting and be careful of how others might read it.” Toni Ince, 16, also from Tyldesley said: “We did an exercise where we pretended to pose for different Facebook pictures. It Marsh Green Girls Group pose with Lowton Girls Group 14 THE LINC CHATS TO ELBOW As you read this, the winners of the Mercury Music Prize 2009 are set to be announced. We caught up with Manchester band and outgoing winners, Elbow, to hear what life has been like since they scooped the prestigious prize in 2008.

It’s nearly a year since you were announced as the Mercury Music Prize winners 2008 for your The Seldom Seen Kid. What has the past year been like for you after being propelled to this new level of fame? The past year has literally been a whirlwind since winning the . To be honest the only repercussions in Manchester’s finest - Elbow terms of fame has been that taxi drivers now know who we are and trips to Tesco fame. What we wanted to achieve was the and coming musicians starting out can sometimes take a little longer! ability to live off what we loved doing and on the long slog to get noticed? The great thing is that we are now be able to raise families and pay The only real advice we can give is to playing to ever greater numbers of people mortgages, and continue to make records enjoy it. It can be one of the most worldwide, and our last gig of this tour is and tour the world. exhausting, exhilarating, rewarding, at the Manchester Evening News Arena. interesting jobs but as soon as you start to Fame isn’t something that we strive for This year you fulfilled any band’s not enjoy any aspect then give up. but it’s nice when it happens. dream of playing Wembley Essentially we are all mates and enjoy Stadium. Which do you prefer, each other’s company whether we are on larger stadium gigs or more stage in front of 30,000 people or stuck in intimate venues closer to a tour bus in Germany! home? Also get companies to come to We can’t lie and tell you we you, make them think prefer to play intimate venues they are the ones missing - we like playing them but out. Oh and practise! have played them for years - of making but there is nothing like money through record sales hearing thousands of is pretty much over so people cheering for you! musicians will now make Elbow pick up the Mercury Prize Playing Wembley Arena money through touring. was an incredible moment for us, How and when did Elbow form, but playing the stadium supporting U2 will Who do you fancy for the and has the line up of the band be pretty good as well! new Mercury Prize winners changed over the years? this year and what advice would Elbow formed around twelve years ago Listening to your lyrics, Elbow are you give to them? after our previous incarnation of Mr Soft a band that seem to be very much Not too sure but probably either came to nothing. rooted in the North. How much Kasabian or Florence and the Machine. The reason we changed our name was does Manchester and the North that we had inundated record companies West affect and influence your What’s next for Elbow? with demos, which, to be honest, weren’t music? Write the next record! that good. It’s everything! It’s about being proud of We went away and wrote, then decided your background and heritage. Also Guy’s to rename the band as the music was (Garvey - lead singer) ability to take the vastly different. everyday and make it magical allows The line up hasn’t changed in the 18 people to see into a world that is already years we have been together. there.

In the early years, did you ever Elbow have been around for years expect or want such a level of and have worked at getting a strong fame? following. We didn’t set out to attain any level of What advice would you give to up 11