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Rayuela: Creativity and Social Media in Youth Work
Rayuela: Creativity and Social Media in Youth Work
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Introduction: Welcome to this learning activity, inspired by the successful Rayuela project from HUB168. In an increasingly digital world, it's essential that youth workers harness the power of creativity and social media to involve young people in important social issues. This activity provides a step-by-step guide to setting up your own impactful project, just like Rayuela does with topics such as cybercrime and fake news.
Learning Objectives: After completing this activity, you'll be able to:
- Apply the core principles of the Rayuela project in your own youth work.
- Choose a relevant theme that resonates with young people's experiences.
- Put together and guide a creative team of young people.
- Encourage young people to create authentic content (digital creations made by themselves, such as videos, music, texts, images) on social media.
- Incorporate practical considerations (such as permission and licences) into your project planning.
- Integrate the role of reflection and critical thinking into your projects.
- Increase the impact of digital literacy in youth work.
Target Audience: Young people, youth workers, managers in youth work, and anyone who works with young people.
Duration: This activity is designed to take approximately 2-3 hours to complete, including reflection exercises.
For more inspiration see a video showcasing the good practice of the Rayuela project: https://youtu.be/ASYs-ULL-fE
Step-by-step guide: Setting up a Rayuela-like project
The Rayuela project demonstrates how you can empower young people by giving them a voice through creative expression on digital platforms. Here are the steps to build a similar project:
Step 1: Inspiration from Rayuela – The power of creativity and Social Media
The Rayuela project is about bringing together young, talented individuals (musicians, video makers, gamers, writers) to create content on platforms like TikTok. The idea is to let young people tell their own stories, in their own way, with their own music and visuals.
Action: Think about which social media platforms are popular with the young people you work with (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, etc.). How can these platforms be used for creative expression rather than just consumption?
Reflection: What are the advantages of using social media for youth projects? What are the potential challenges?
Step 2: Choose a relevant theme
Rayuela gives young people a theme such as cybercrime, ghosting or fake news. It's important to choose a topic that's not only relevant to the young people, but one they already have some knowledge or experience of. This ensures personal and genuine creations and engagement.
Action: Organise a brainstorming session with young people to identify themes that matter to them. This could range from online safety, mental health, the environment, to social inequality.
Reflection: How do you ensure that the chosen theme really appeals to the young people and motivates them to get creative?
Step 3: Form a creative team
The success of Rayuela lies in finding young people with diverse talents. Look for musicians, video makers, writers, graphic designers, gamers, or other creative minds. The aim is to form a group where they complement and inspire each other. Also explore the possibility of collaborating with other organisations, such as local media companies or schools, to broaden the project's reach and expertise. Ensure the project is accessible to a diverse group of young people and that everyone feels welcome and valued in participating.
Action: Approach young people through youth centres, schools, online communities or through word of mouth. Explain what the project involves and what their role could be.
Reflection: How do you create a safe and trusting environment where young people feel free to share their talents and work together?
Step 4: Co-creation and Freedom
Give the young people a clear theme, but then allow them the freedom to create the content in their own way. Rayuela gave the young people a theme and let them "go and see what they would create". This led to authentic clips and videos that really made a difference on TikTok.
Action: Decide on the 'briefing' for the team: the theme and the desired output (e.g., a series of TikTok videos, a short film, a song). Give them the space to decide on the content themselves.
Reflection: How do you balance guidance with giving enough creative freedom?
Step 5: Guidance and Mentorship
Your role as a young leader or youth worker is that of a mentor and facilitator. This means not dictating, but supporting, advising, and arranging practical matters. Rayuela, for example, emphasised the importance of parental permission for young people under 16/18 and checking licences for free visuals. Your role as a manager in youth work is… When planning, it's also advisable to think about the necessary resources, such as equipment and software, and potential ways to secure funding. Be prepared for potential challenges during the project and discuss strategies with the team to deal with them.
Action:
Permission: Ensure you have written permission from parents/guardians for young people under 16 or 18 (depending on local laws) who are creating online content.
Licences: Teach the young people about copyright and the use of licences for images, music or other materials.
Critical thinking: Encourage critical thinking about the content they create and consume.
Reflection: What legal and ethical considerations are important when creating online content with young people?
Step 6: Reflection and Awareness
The Rayuela project had young people reflect on the theme of fake news through research and creating a song. The music and video reflected their findings and feelings about the topic. This process of self-reflection and creative expression deepens awareness.
Action: Integrate moments of reflection throughout the project. This can be through group discussions, individual reflection exercises, or by asking young people to document their learning process.
Reflection: How can the creative process itself contribute to raising awareness about a theme?
Step 7: Impact and Digital Literacy
The TikTok campaign by Rayuela had a clear impact: it encouraged critical thinking among young people and contributed to the prevention of cyberbullying and misinformation. Digital literacy goes beyond just consuming; it's about playing, creating, and understanding how content is made. Think about how you can measure the impact of your project, for example, by analysing social media engagement or collecting feedback from participants. This helps to demonstrate effectiveness and learn for future projects.
Action: Discuss the impact of their work with the young people. How does their project contribute to awareness? How can they use their 'digital canvas' (YouTube, TikTok, etc.) to convey their own message?
Reflection: How can you encourage young people to see digital platforms as tools for self-expression and social change?
Resources: For more inspiration and to connect with Ismene Elbers and HUB168, visit:
Conclusion: By following these steps, you, as a youth worker, can set up a dynamic and meaningful project that not only stimulates the creativity of young people but also helps them to become critical, digitally literate citizens. Consider how this initiative could potentially have a follow-up or be structurally embedded within the broader activities of the organisation, in order to achieve a lasting impact. Take up the challenge and start your own Rayuela project today!
Get activity badge
Digital Creation Hero Get this badge
The "Digital Creation Hero" badge recognises young people who have actively participated in a project that uses creativity and social media to tackle important social issues. This badge shows that you are a critical thinker, a team player, and a creator of impactful digital content. You have learned how to use your voice to create awareness and make a positive difference in the digital world.
Tasks
Task no.1
Issued by organiser or scanning QR code
To earn the "Digital Creation Hero" badge, you must successfully complete the following tasks:
Theme research and brainstorm:
- Actively participate in brainstorming sessions to choose a relevant social issue for the project (e.g., cybercrime, fake news, mental health).
- Independently research the chosen theme and share your findings with the team.
Teamwork and co-creation:
- Work effectively with your team members, respecting and utilising each other's talents and ideas.
- Actively contribute to the creative process, from concept development to the final production of content.
Social Media Content Creation:
- Create authentic and original digital content (for example, videos, music, texts, visuals) that highlights the chosen theme.
- Publish the content on a relevant social media platform (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, YouTube), paying attention to the specific features of the platform.
Critical thinking and digital literacy:
- Reflect on the impact of the created content and the message being conveyed.
- Demonstrate an understanding of copyright, licences, and the importance of permission when using materials and filming people.
- Discuss how you can use digital platforms as a "canvas" for self-expression and social change.
Presentation and sharing:
- Present the completed project to an audience (for example, other young people, youth workers, parents).
- Share your learning experiences and insights about the production process.
Organisers
Digital Youth Work Resource Hub
Awero not-for-profit organisation manages this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@awero.org.
Platform
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