In spring 2017, young people in Ritsona came to us with a bold proposal: launch a publication that was proudly and unambiguously their own.
It all started with piles of artwork, writing and photographs accumulating in Lighthouse Relief's Youth Engagement Space (YES) - the result of several creative workshops that took place in early 2017.
These workshops provided resources and support to 15-25 year-olds to pursue individual and group projects through which to express their experiences and perspectives in a meaningful way. Some participants were skilled artists and writers that were grateful for the opportunity to refine their craft. Others sought an outlet for creative self-expression and surprised themselves with the quality of work they produced.
Initially, no one imaged the creative output traveling beyond the YE, but gradually the young artists and writers developed a desire to share their work with a wider audience: thus the Ritsona Kingdom Journal was born.
With background support from the Lighthouse Relief team, they took ownership of the project from start to finish. It grew into a beloved much-loved opportunity for creative self-expression an important outlet for teens and young adults to share their perspectives on the political and legal issues affecting their lives.
The magazine featured everything from letters to global leaders, essays on displacement, original photography of daily life in Ritsona and many, pieces of thoughtful and powerful artwork.
It is a testament to the tremendous strength and resilience of the magazine’s contributors, who dared to take a stand on issues that will determine their futures.
Select Ritsona Kingdom Journal Contributors:
RITSONA KINGDOM JOURNAL RAN FROM 2017-2018.
We hope to restart the magazine one day. In the meantime, please enjoy the back issues:
N.B. All opinions expressed in the Ritsona Kingdom Journal belong to the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views Lighthouse Relief.