Professor Barbara Comber of the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies says young people need different spaces to develop their creative potential - both in and out of school.
"The new spaces concept is about giving young people places to develop their talents, engage in their community and if they're engaged, they're less likely to drop out of school," Prof Comber says.
The Hawke Institute's Centre for Studies in Literacy, Policy and Learning Cultures is studying that concept in action as the Northern Sound System opens its doors in Elizabeth. A regional community music centre developed by Playford City Council and co-funded by Commonwealth grants, this "new space" is a digital recording and performance studio where young people can go to perform and record their music.
"In the northern suburbs, there's always been a big interest in music and dance and the Northern Sound System is trying to capitalise on that," Prof Comber says.
"This collaborative study has grown out of our research which indicates that young people are interested in new media, new digital technologies and new ways of expressing their creativity."
Researchers will investigate how young people access and use the new facility and how creative learning pathways can be built between school and community educators.
"We want to know who is using it, how they're using it, the kinds of music they're producing and broader skills they're acquiring which are relevant to the creative industries," Prof Comber says.
This study is one of several new high-impact projects currently underway at the Hawke Institute, which is undergoing a major expansion to meet the growing demand for real-life research. A nationwide search is now underway for four new academic research assistants to help out with important research like Prof Comber's.
"There's a real problem with young people not completing their schooling and when you don't complete, you have a much greater chance of being unemployed or underemployed so if we can engage teenagers and get them to complete their schooling, it can make a huge difference in their lives."
