Power of Presentations

Last week Wednesday I had the enjoyable experience of being part of a judging panel for the Jack Petchy Foundation, Speak Out competition.

This competition provides a platform for young children between the ages of 14 - 16 from previously disadvantaged areas to talk for 3 minutes about a topic which they are passionate about.

I was involved in the Hackney regional final, where the winner of this event stood the chance of presenting in front of 900 guests at the main gala event on the 2nd July.

At the event there were 15 youths who took to the stage with enthusiasm and passion, whereby each took the opportunity to persuade us with their personal ideas. I was extremely impressed with the level of the presenters, conscious that many of these youths mostly likely never had a platform to present to such a large audience.

We had to mark the presenters in three areas namely, content, deliver and structure.
The overall winner was a young lady who talked about gang wars and how youths are killing each other over the simplicity of a entering their territory which is defined by the post code they live in. When she arrived at the stage she went straight into the incident of when she was personally involved in a turf war scuffle, using excellent body language and vocal verity she allowed the audience to get a glimpse of what it's like to be right in the middle of a extremely hostile and dangerous time a place. At the end of the 3 minutes she left us with a defining question of is it really worth dying over a postcode?

But the evenings success was not just one talented young lady but each and every one of the presenters, because it showed me how important it is to empower our youth. The evening also taught me how getting on stage really develops a person's self confidence. I'm sure everyone of those participants are looking to the future with more confidence that they will be able to secure employment and go on to become leaders of the future.

Therefore I encourage you after reading this blog to see where you can get involved to empower the youths of the future.

Mark de Stadler

A Childs Passion

Sunday 29th March 2009 and there I was amongst musicians and artists together with my youngest son Jason (11 years) discussing the new drama, music and film studios being launched in London and Essex. Exuberance surrounded the room with high spirited people discussing the first ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest named the ‘L’ Factor, (L = Loughton).

Imagine creating new bands with different musicians and the winner having their own song recorded, produced and then released to the world. This is going to happen in the next two months. The owner of the recording studio spoke to my son and after finding out Jason played the drums, he suggested that he put a group together and enter the competition.

Well I have never seen so much excitement, energy and sheer enthusiasm from my son to want something to work. By the end of the day he had managed to phone and enlist a guitarist and vocal lead. Now it was time for him to find three songs and create a name for the band. Again by night fall three songs chosen and a name – ‘One in a Lifetime’. He is currently designing his own logo. His elder brother is already manager and me as Dad can happily sit on the sidelines and watch the intensity of what’s occurring with pride.

The event is only a few weeks away but Jason has managed to put himself in with a chance to perform in front of key music professionals and enjoy a great night. He knows the reality of the competition and is under no illusion of grandeur. It’s about “taking part, having fun and gaining more experience”. These are his words to me.

For me who admires anyone who can demonstrate passion for a hobby, career and of course their family deserves the time of day. We are in a tough climate and those who excel are those who show the right level of passion for success. If I or any of you take just 50% of what Jason has demonstrated over the last few days, you will achieve amazing things.

Dale Carnegie quoted “You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.”

Frank Steggall

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/