Amplifying Youth Voices
Agent Max chats with Samuel, mastermind of The Agency project Amplify, for young artists pursuing their passion for music. Now CEO of the Young Manchester charity, Samuel divulges a love of sports and his journey to help young people lead purposeful lives. Keep up with Samuel’s work with Young Manchester at http://youngmanchester.org and other endeavors at bio.site/samuelremiakinwale
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Max
We're the agency, an entrepreneurship team for 15 to 25 year olds to join as our agents and create change in their communities. I'm agent Max and today I'll be chatting with Samuel, mastermind of Amplify, a project for young artists to pursue rapping and performing their own album at an event. Since the agency, Samuel has gone on to achieve some outstanding things. Let's tune in.
Max
So first things first, who are you and what are your interests?
Samuel
Thank you. Hi, my name is Samuel Ramia Kimwale. I'm a 24 year old nigerian and I guess British now person. Don't know how to describe myself for those who aren't watching. Yep. From Manchester, my interests, I have a strong interest in just supporting young people to live joyful, purposeful lives. And beyond that, you know, I'm a lover of anime, basketball, sports in general, and. Yeah, just lover of life and all things amazing and good weather. So that clashes with the UK, doesn't it?
Max
But I like some sports. I like badminton, for example.
Samuel
Do you play? I play badminton too.
Max
Oh, nice. Brilliant. Yeah. Like, no, we just. It runs through the family. My nan plays it, my sister plays it.
Samuel
Generational sport. I love that. Yeah, definitely dope. Yeah. Like, if we get to connect beyond this, like, I would love to play against you.
Max
Yeah.
Samuel
Yeah.
Max
Like, again, I'd like to see how I. Yeah, we can see how I do.
Samuel
Yeah, it'd be fun.
Max
How did you find out about the agency?
Samuel
Yeah. Oh, that's a great question. This takes me back. It's been a while since I've thought about this, but in Manchester, I attended this youth center called the Factory Youth zone, now called the Manchester Youth zone. And that's why I used to play basketball with my friends like three, four times a week. And badminton as well, actually. And one day the agency came in and they were like, oh, they're running a project in north Manchester and potentially you can have your idea supported and 2000 pounds. And I remember the person that came in and spoke to me about it was the project called manager in Manchester at that time called Steve Vickers. Legendary, legendary man. And I just straight off the bat said, I'm taking that. Like I'm gonna get the two k. And. Yeah.
Samuel
So I signed up, I think there was a little interview and then I got called back to, like, start the project. And I knew some of the young people from my area who are part of the cohort. But I met some new people that I actually ended up being probably longer term friends with than those I already knew. People like, Yomi and Josh, who actually now is, you know, the lead facilitator in Manchester, and. Yeah, like, it was just a fun experience, but that's how I came across the agency, and I really enjoyed it. Yeah, yeah.
Max
No, from what I've seen of him, Josh is a great guy.
Samuel
Exemplary.
Max
Yeah. And also very creative guy as well, with his media production.
Samuel
Yeah, Josh is world star, to be honest. Like, for me, he's like a mini son. He's just like. He just shines so bright, and I love that. Like, yeah, I want my light to shine like, that bright, too. Yeah. It's amazing.
Max
Why does your work matter to you?
Samuel
My work? So that's a great question. I I'm curious if I should say some of it about, like, what my agency work was and also what I do now.
Max
Yeah, no, please go for it.
Samuel
So, at the time with the agency, the work, I, My project, our agency, if I'm not answering a question that you. No, you are answering is, what's called amplify, and it was project to empower young people's voices. Essentially, the desire came from, you know, being in school and seeing these young kids in the courtyard rapping, you know, da da da. Like, yo, they're spitting their own bars. And I'm like, wow, you know, this person's a superstar. You know, like. And I just. Yeah. Didn't feel like. Well, they showed no evident desire to pursue it, like, long term. They didn't feel like it was a viable thing for them to do. And here I was thinking that I was next to the next, you know, j hoss, you know, Jay Z or whoever. I don't know.
Samuel
I chose two artists names, starting with Jay, but, yeah, I just felt so much belief in them, and I saw something that I didn't feel like they saw in themselves. And I just felt like there's so many other young people like this out there, and I was seeing it more and more in my community. I just wanted to create a project to help them, support them in that journey. And so I created amplify, and the project essentially took. Brought together young artists from across the city, some who had the aspiration of becoming artists in the long run, some who just, you know, they just loved it, and they didn't have that. Sometimes you don't know why. Right.
Samuel
You know, and I would hire, like, an industry professional to take them through a creative process, and they'll create an ep together, and we would pay for the studio time and create a launch event and this young people performed this album they've created together at this event. And they would have worked with industry professionals just learning quite a few things about the industry and the journey. And, yeah, for me, it was beautiful because it's just nice to hear the talented people I know and just in my community that I didn't know, you know, shine their light, essentially, and, like, let it be seen and like, Yeah, that's what I did and I was really proud of that. Yeah. But now it's been a long journey and, like, if we get a chance, I'll explain how the amplifier project went on from there.
Samuel
But I guess why? I think your initial question is, why does my work matter to me now? Yeah. So now I run an organization called Young Manchester where a membership organization for not for profits who work with children, young people in Manchester. We have around 138 member organizations. And, yeah, our goal is to ensure that young people in Manchester can fulfill. Have access to amazing opportunities and fulfill the potential and. Sorry, sort of going into like, CEO pitch time, like language here. My bad. But like, the first thing we do is we work to strengthen amazing youth work. For me, youth work say, like, it's the cornerstone of my life. Of my life, you know, youth workers have really held me up. I told you that I was at a youth zone and I've, like so many of them, their workers have shaped me.
Samuel
I still volunteer there now. My younger brother goes there. I'm a trustee there. Like, they mean a lot to me. Youth work means a lot to me. And we strengthened those organizations by funding them. And so over the past six years, we've raised and distributed 12 million pounds to these organizations across the city. And like, the money comes from like, the city council or the large NGO's. I don't have that in my back pocket. It's not my money. Please don't think it's my money. But if you do have money to give, send it my way because we'll push it out and put it to the sector.
Max
Everybody got that?
Samuel
Yeah, yeah. Bank account details. You see it there? I'm just kidding. The next thing we do, and this is why I love the organization so much, is partnerships. So for us, because of the resources and the sector for young people, the government isn't investing much into young people as we've seen over the past 14 years. It's just so stretched thing and partnership is really the solution to this. Unfortunately, because of the limited funding, the landscape has become very competitive. I don't know if you've seen this, but charities competing with each other for funding, it's really hard. And in a finite world where finite resources, it's hard for that not to be a thing. So we try to make sure that when people apply for our funding, they work together, they collaborate. That partnership is the cornerstone of it all.
Samuel
You share resources, share staff, learn and share, so on and so forth. The last thing we do is that we try to champion these organizations and champion young people. That means just celebrating them for their achievements, ensuring that the city council hears their voice and that people nationally also hear their voice. But none of this is possible without putting young people at the heart of what we do. And so, actually, when I joined the organization in 2018, my first job was to co create with an amazing person called Olivia Lee, who actually is someone who was a project manager project for the agency towards Interlinken. And we created this young ambassadors program. We decided how young people would have the same decision making within the organization.
Samuel
So over the past six years, 8.5 million has been shaped, influenced, decided by young people in Manchester, rather than just me or some old people in some room saying, you get the funding. You know what I mean? It's, like, done with young people. My board, like my chairs, my co chairs, they're young people. So, you know, it's lovely and crazy enough. Like, I didn't even lived in Plandis now they wanted to have a CEO to share power with young people. Like co CEO structure and, you know, someone, you know who you are. They're like, sam, go for this. Da da da. Really supported me because I didn't think I can do the job. And, like, yeah, I I don't even know if I can still. But, you know, like, I feel like the organization's so ambitious that we've overshot our mark.
Samuel
And I've gone from being a co CEO of this organization to being the full time CEO, running it with an amazing team. And for me, that changes lives of children, young people that I once was, like, you know, I was once that kid in Manchester in that youth center who needed a trusted adult, a safe space. And I've been talking for a while, but, yeah, this is why what I do matters, hence why I'm talking so long about it.
Max
Yeah, but, I mean, I don't know how I can follow all of that. What were your initial insecurities when you were starting your agency project, and how did you overcome them?
Samuel
God, take me back. An insecurity I had was talking about the things I do so, like, I could talk about things I do in a setting like this, but if a stranger walked up to me and asked me what I did, particularly back then, I just say, I'm a student, like, oh, and, like, I was doing all this stuff inside, but, like, things that are my own, I find it so hard to share. Like, you know, I find it so hard to talk about, to put myself out there in that way. It's. It's weird that obviously, I feel we're comfortable doing it in this kind of setting sometimes. Well, like, just to go out there and say, yo, I'm doing this. Like, and this is, this, and this is great, and I think it's amazing, and you guys should support it, too.
Samuel
Just was just so hard. And so when I was doing my agency project, I didn't tell a lot of my friends about it, only those who I was like, okay, you should definitely be on this program. You're super talented, you know what I mean? And, like, it was just. Yeah, it's still insecurity I have because, like, no, I don't. You know, to change my LinkedIn from students to co CEO young Manchester took a lot, you know, and there's so many other things I've done since then that no one will ever know about because I just don't like China by it. But I probably should. I've said the word, let your light shine, like, quite a few times. And that's because, like, yesterday I had, like, quite a serious conversation with someone, and my key takeaway was, like, essentially me dulling my own light.
Samuel
And I feel like at that age, it was really hard to feel confident about what I'd created because I didn't know if it was a good idea or not. I just knew that the desire was strong. I knew it was needed in territory, so on and so forth. But beyond that, you know, I've never done that kind of stuff before. I was 15, like, yeah, so, yeah.
Max
What is a specific community need that you identified and solved through your project?
Samuel
Solved is a big word.
Max
Well, how about address?
Samuel
Yeah, so I think I spoke a bit about it, but actually, you know, was chatting to some other agents earlier about this. The lack of aspirations, particularly for young people who are in the arts and who are from working class communities or, you know, racialized and marginalized communities, so on and so forth. Yeah, it was just huge. And as someone who I maybe would have defined myself as, like, a relatively creative person at the time, but just, you know, really saw this, like, you know, I saw their talent and I was like, this is great. You know what I mean? Like, let's back this. Yeah. You know, who just wanted to be a cheerleader? That's really what I am. And it's horrendous sometimes. Yeah. Like, I just, I didn't get why they didn't see the awesomeness in themselves.
Samuel
And I think for the young people who participate and young people who saw the project, I hope it inspired them to dream, to be bold, to be radical, to pursue their own desire and live with purpose.
Max
Overall, how has being a part of the agency changed your perspective on an ability to create change?
Samuel
So I think, firstly, it taught me that 2000 pounds was not as much as I thought it was. When I first heard 2000 pounds, I was like, whoa, that's crazy. I don't know about you when you got the funding, but I fell off my chair. I legitimately fell off my chair.
Max
I'm gonna tell you exactly what happened. I went in, I pitched, I performed a lot on stage. So that's really helped me find my confidence in addressing a room full of people. So I was lucky that I had that experience. So I went in, I pitched, did what I needed to do, and I walked out and then I collapsed to the floor.
Samuel
Wow.
Max
I didn't. Well, I mean, I was, yeah, I just lay on the floor for a bit, just like, oh, God, I just need to breathe. Like. But then we had a facilitator come up and go, are you okay? You okay? Yeah, I just need a. Yeah. So that's what happened to.
Samuel
Wow. Yeah. How did you react when they told you then? What did they tell you on the spot?
Max
No, no, they didn't tell me on the spot. That was just after their meeting. But, yeah, I didn't fall out of my chair because I'd had time to, like, prepare myself. Actually.
Max
No, actually, I did fall.
Max
I did fall. I got. You're really bringing me back now.
Samuel
Like, it's, hey, this is a conversation.
Max
Yeah, exactly. But, yeah, no, that's what happened. I just needed to lie down again.
Samuel
It was just like, yeah, 2000 pounds. What? But in this economy, what is 2000 pounds?
Max
Exactly?
Samuel
Yeah, what is 2000 pounds? But it's. Change is really hard to make that you're not fighting against moments or momentary things. You're fighting against systems like, you know, when we talk about, you know, for example, the lack of ambition within these young people that I saw, or should I say dimmed lights, let's just call it that it wasn't their fault. And addressing it within them doesn't change everything and actually may occur for just that one thing, but for a whole lot of other things in their lives, like do they have that same confidence in themselves? And what is the thing putting doubt within them? What's the thing that's I guess, inflicting this damage, this lack of ambition, like, what are the systems holding them back?
Samuel
And, you know, we don't want to get into education policy or just like the challenges the schools are facing, but yeah, those are the things that are really affecting that. So for me, it made me realize that systems change is probably, is how you address things. And it's hard, it takes time, but also it made me appreciate the change that was going in on within myself and how important it is to enjoy processes or just be present in processes. My facilitators were Reese Williams and Kate. And both of them just kept on telling me, trust the methodology, trust the process. Trust the methodology, trust the process. Man, I wasn't trusting anything because I just came in and I was like, yeah, I have this idea, da da da.
Samuel
And I thought 2000 pounds was gonna throw this whole carnival and this would be so sustainable, so on and so forth. Yeah, yeah. Nah, no, I should have listened. And I did. Eventually, like, I think it was like two weeks before the pitch day. I was like, something changed and I decided to embrace and like read through the whole book. I still have my whole agency notepad and, yeah, it just, yeah, something changed, the idea refined a bit more and yeah, just.
Max
You finally trusted the process.
Samuel
So you would say, so you say, but would I give them that? W. Yes, yes, I would. Yeah, they deserve it because they really pushed out to like, get me to trust it, and I eventually didn't, and I really, really appreciate it. So, yeah.
Max
What is something that you would like to see more of from the agency in the future?
Samuel
That's a great question. So for me, the agency's been more than just a project. It's always been something quite revolutionary, putting power in young people's hands, giving them agency and. Yeah, like, I just want to see, I want to see every young person in the world feel that sense of agency. And I don't know how, like, you proliferate that in such a way because it's not about the funding, it's not about the money, it's not about entrepreneurism. Like, for me, it's about the key questions around desire territory, your creative form, what is your, like, where was your form of existence? To some degree, it's about our compass. It's about questioning. Your network is about seeing and understanding who you are. And like that. Creative methodology is unique. It's a journey of discovery, of self and purpose. And I think every young person deserves that.
Samuel
And so for me, while I see more of the agency, as much as I would love to see more support and scaffolding for agents who have done their project and want to take it to the next level and get some more funding like you have, and share that, I would love to see some iteration of your project in Manchester. That would be fantastic. But it's like, okay, cool. How does this methodology inform how teachers work? How does it fit into youth work settings? How does it fit into other settings? Also, some adults need this. Some of this older folk they really need because they don't know what their desire was. They just were squirts by the way of life. And it's really sad to see, because we can see again, this is a system. It's not just a momentary thing.
Samuel
And so if we as agents don't keep strong to the principles that were shared with us in this methodology, I feel like there's a likelihood that we might like Beacop in this wave of life that unfortunately, I guess, sometimes takes away purpose from people and conviction and hope so.
Max
Yeah, I mean, I can't follow up on that. So all I have to say, firstly, thank you so much for doing this, Samuel, and it's been great getting to know you. Yeah. Like just. Yeah, brilliant.
Samuel
Thank you so much.
Max
No, thank you.
Samuel
And I really like your shirt. Don't be wrong. But it's highly unlikely. I'm probably saying the opposite of that quite usually, but. Yeah, but thank you so much. Yeah, I really appreciate this chat. Nice.
Max
Great chatting. Yeah. Well, one last thing. Get out.
Max
Are you moved by Samuel's amazing work? Head on over to youngmanchester.org and see it for yourself. Stay tuned. And as we say in the agency, trust, the process.
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