Routes2Roots, co-created with youth engagement agency Beatfreeks, was a multimedia campaign which explored what heritage, identity and culture mean to young people in Birmingham and encouraged applications to HLF's Young Roots funding programme. Led by 10 young co-curators, it has so far awarded £326,900 to nine projects.

[quote=Amerah Saleh, Beatfreeks]“Routes2Roots gave young people a chance to see heritage in a fresh new light. It's a fantastic legacy.”[/quote]

Amerah Saleh, Head of Campaigns and Experiences at Beatfreeks, said: “Routes2Roots gave young people a chance to see heritage in a fresh new light. The young co-creators are now exploring their own histories, in full-time employment and a few are delivering workshops on how organisations should better engage with young people. It’s a fantastic legacy.”

Three new projects have recently been awarded Young Roots funding to uncover the history of language, social reform and Irish culture in Birmingham.

Street Talk

£37,700 has been awarded to the Street Talk project, a partnership between Recre8, Birmingham Museum and Handsworth Library investigating street language in Birmingham over the past 60 years. The project, which will run until June 2017, was devised by 15 young people, who have, or are at risk of having, a criminal record. The group will interview people from different generations to find out how street language has changed and the different cultural influences, from Jamaican patois to Irish slang, that have combined to give modern street language its distinctiveness and meaning today.

Find out more on the Recre8 website.

Within These Four Walls

A further £27,500 has been awarded to a project led by social enterprise Fourth Wall. Within These Four Walls is a year-long project to reveal and share the stories of Winterbourne House and Garden in Edgbaston and the Nettlefold family who lived there. Focussing on the Nettlefolds’ local leadership, communication and the printing press, and women’s education, the project will present three powerful theatre performances as well as a 10-week exhibition based on the research.

Find out more on the Fourth Wall website.

The Irish Centre

£17,600 has been awarded to ViewfinderUK CIC for a six-month project researching Irish culture and heritage in Birmingham. Led by 10 people aged 11-19 from the All Saints Youth Project, participants of The Irish Centre will interview members of Birmingham’s Irish community, producing a short film, photography exhibition and materials for the 2017 St Patrick’s Day Festival.

Find our more on the Viewfinder website.

Young Roots

Vanessa Harbar, Head of HLF West Midlands, said: “We’re thrilled that the Routes2Roots campaign has been so successful in engaging more young people in Birmingham with their local heritage and challenging their perceptions. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are continuing to fund a really diverse range of projects across Birmingham, empowering young people to take the lead.”

For more information about Young Roots, please visit the programme page.