A new hip-hop and creative writing program launching in Hobart is set to give young Tasmanians a platform to tell their stories and express themselves in ways many have not had access to before.
Created by local musician and youth worker Kieran Lonergan, the free program called You’re Write will offer fortnightly workshops at the Youth Arts and Recreation Centre for people aged 12 to 25.
Funded by Arts Tasmania, the workshops will combine hip-hop, poetry, storytelling and music, creating a space where young people can build confidence, develop creative skills and explore their own voice.
Lonergan said the program was designed to address a major gap in Hobart’s creative scene, particularly for young people looking for accessible and culturally relevant ways to express themselves.
The workshops will be open to all experience levels, from first-time writers to performers wanting to improve.
“I want it to be obviously somewhere that young people can rely on, they can come back to, and that’s why it’s so good that we’re able to run them consistently and really have that there,” he told Pulse.
He said the program would also create pathways for budding artists, including opportunities to perform, record music and develop skills in the industry.
Lonergan has been releasing music independently for five years and has spent more than seven years working with young people in roles at homeless shelters and in out-of-home care.
He said the idea for You’re Write came directly from the young people he worked with.
“They’re always asking me, ‘Oh, where are the hip-hop workshops?’ Or, ‘Do you know any space like that?'” he said.
“The people that I’d be working with as well would want it so much, but there just wasn’t any.”
The workshops will use hip-hop as a starting point but won’t be limited to it.
“There’s such a heavy tie to poetry, storytelling,” Lonergan said.
“I think that’s important because it’ll just kind of make it more accessible for people.”
He said the program was also open to schools, youth organisations and other groups wanting tailored one-on-one workshops.
Lonergan, who has lived in Tasmania for most of his life and in Hobart for around eight years, said he ran pilot workshops at the centre before securing funding for the full launch.
