Young people united
Promoting an awareness of African and Caribbean culture, through arts, educational and social programmes.
Young People United is a dynamic youth association that helps nurture and build the talented young people of Medway and nearby areas from ages 6 to 24.
YPU was founded in 2013 by the late Safiya Stewart, along with friends Holly Hinds, Chris Wyatt, Nicholas Parchment and Romola Coker. Their vision was to find a way to help equip young people across Kent and Medway with opportunities to collaborate in ideas to create a pathway for a better tomorrow for the youth of Medway, breaking down racial and cultural barriers
Fast forward to the present day, YPU (Young people united) continue to carry the torch of the visionaries and take charge of developing youths across Kent and Medway. Our aim is to enable young people to become well-skilled and competent in any area of their pursuit, whether becoming a footballer, singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, actor/actress, coder, event planner and much more.
“YPU, Paving the way for a brighter tomorrow.”
Zen Trails
What’s on offer?
The workshops will include Hip-hop styles and urban dance styles, as well as many other dance styles with one of the UK’s leading dance tutors Sage
Sage has been teaching dance for a number of years. Come and be part of our dance crew, and take part in shows, and competitions across London and the South East.
We will also have Afro Beats dance classed with one of the UK’s leading Afro Beats dance tutors, who has performed with artists such as Fuse ODG, and his students have successfully entered national dance competitions
When will they take place?
The workshops will take place every Monday until October 2023, ( they may continue subject to funding )
Times: Hip hop, urban and freestyle Ages 7-11 years, 5-6 pm a
Afro Beats ages 12 upwards 6-7 pm
Where are they taking place?
Medway Youth Services
Gillingham and Twydall Family Hub
Woodlands Road
Gillingham
ME7 2BX
Do I need to have any previous experience?
These workshops are for all abilities, new and experienced dancers.
What ages can attend?
The ages will range from 7 up to 18 yrs and the classes will be split to make sure all participants have access to their capability level and grow at their own pace.
What will I receive?
A great opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends 😊 You will need to wear suitable clothing and footwear to take part in dance. E.g leggings, tracksuit, trainers
Is there a fee?
There is a small fee to take part which will go towards the running costs and to ensure we can keep the classes going after any funding ends.
The fees are £3.60 per child/young person. Discounts available for children/young people from the same household of 2 or more
Please email for details.
Payments are made by bank transfer to Medway African and Caribbean Association details are sent to you once registered.
If you would like more information, please email ola@macacharity.org.uk.
Do I need to go to all the sessions?
You can attend on dates you are available. The more you go, the quicker and more you learn.
How do I register?
Please fill in your details on the online registration form if you are under 18, you will need a parent or legal guardian to provide consent.
Auditions Open: Join us for 40 years of Afro Beat and Hip Hop dance production
Get involved !
Scan the QR code to register your interest, or email ypuadmin@macacharity.org.uk
Medway Culture Club
Medway African and Caribbean Association and YPU are proud to be working with Medway Culture Club to launch a Saturday school for young people in Kent.
To get involved or to find out more please visit:
Youth HipOpera
Thank you to all the young people that took part in the Windrush Hip Hopera project, the journey continues.
We are pleased to be able to show the highlights of the project to you.
We look forward to working with the young people on completing a final production for 2021.
In partnership with Theatre31, funded by Arts Council England Youth Performance Partnership Fund
How will we keep young people safe?
MACA has a safeguarding children policy, all staff are checked to make sure they are safe to work with children and young people and have no criminal convictions that prevent them from working with young people.
If during the activities you or your parent/guardian are concerned about your own safety or any other young person in the sessions, please advise the tutor straight away.
Why do you need my personal details?
We need to make sure that we are keeping everyone safe and that only those who have registered to attend are at the sessions. This is also in case of fire or if anyone tests positive for COVID 19. We will not share your personal information such as your name, address date of birth to anyone else, only the team delivering the sessions and the project team. This information is kept securely and destroyed 6 months after the project ends or sooner.
If anyone tests positive for COVID we will notify participants of the need to self-isolate, however, no names will be given.
The funders require us to send data on the ethnicity, age, gender of those who took part to help them monitor if a wide range of young people can access the activities, names and addresses will not be shared.