WKA Participants: Emily, Erica

Erica and I met with eight people at the Sheridan location conference room. Maya and Acadia were present as staff.

What do you like about your current space?

• Showers are always clean
• Locker space
• Skylight in the back programming room

A SPACE FOR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

With more space, we should dream big about what other types of activities can take place with the greater capacity.  One main focus of the conversation was providing space for Expressive Therapy. A space like that could incorporate / provide space for the following types of activities:

• Theater
• Art therapy
• Dance – include springboard floors and mirrors
• Music
• Music studio with instruments
• Music therapy
• Drums
• Piano
• DJing
• Music production
• Photography studio and dark room
• Stage
• Gym
• Computers for music technology
• Painting
• Clay
• Woodworking
• Furniture making
• Rock climbing wall
• Basketball
• Tumbling mats
• Jewelry making

Any expensive equipment should not be stored in the basement.

Other spaces that were referenced:

• Lawrence Hall Expressive Therapies spaces
• Maker’s Lab at Harold Washington Library

A SPACE FOR NUTRITION

We also discussed ways to bring nature into the new space for healing. Green Space programming may include:

• Green Room – a space for plants
• Sensory garden
• A space for people to learn about nutrition, gardening and homeopathic medicine
• Apothecary
• Culinary space that could dovetail with the garden and nutrition programs
• Space to learn about healthy eating
• Rooftop garden, and possibly an indoor alternative for the cold season

A SPACE FOR EVENTS AND SHOWCASES

A multifunctional space should be provided that can connect BYC to other spaces and programs around the city and bring folks from outside BYC in to see the art and programs that are being made at BYC.  This space might accommodate the following activities:

• Connect BYC to other artists around the city
• Get artists to come to the building and see BYC art
• Host discussions and panels
• Provide an event space for other organizations who are lacking exhibit space
• Events should be at the top of the building

Smart elevators could be useful for events that take place after hours. They would enable folks to come in from outside BYC but control their access to certain floors.

This space could have an after-hours club vibe at times. A place for young people to have cool, hip events.

Other queer events we referenced:

• Center on Halsted
• Queen
• Molasses

The space should also host fundraising events.

A SPACE FOR LEARNING BUSINESS AND MARKETING SKILLS

There should be a Skills Room for vocational skills. People may not have the right business language to promote themselves. This may be someone leading a discussion on how to regain your authority over your persona – how to build a website or Instagram handle to promote yourselves, which could be a way to increase safety and autonomy in sex work.

A Skills Room might accommodate around 15-20 people and have a big screen and tables that face eachother. The Skills Room may be multifunctional and could have a divider so it could be larger or smaller. Call this a Seminar or Skills Room rather than a Classroom.

A SPACE FOR COSMETOLOGY SKILLS

Some young people may be attending cosmetology school.  There could be spaces for practicing cosmetology skills including:

• Massage therapy
• Self care and holistic body wellness
• Aestheticians
• Barbershop
• Walk in closet for styling / clothes

A SPACE FOR MEDITATION

There should be a tranquil waiting area near the behavioral health rooms. There might be a sensory room which could include:

• Oils
• Waterfall
• Soothing sounds
• Colored lights
• Windows that can be opened or closed
• Lotions

There should be a room where people can just go and be alone and lay down if they are having a really hard day.

Let’s create spaces where activities can begin as hobbies, but then become marketable skills.

SPACES –> OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLS –> MARKETABLE SKILLS

FEELINGS ABOUT THE BYC SPACES

How do you feel about the future BYC space?

One young person said he gets scared. He has anxiety about the larger building. He worries about continuity when the programs are spread over many floors.

How will the staff communicate?  Group text?

They want to avoid any institutional feeling. This is not an institution where people come when the are in need. It’s not a mental health facility, it’s a community. There should be a free flowing sense of accessibility throughout the building. There should be more welcoming entrances, no buzzers, more vibrant colors, and less bland looking spaces. There should be NO BOXES in the hallways and rooms.

A lot of people who come to BYC need resources, but we want to eliminate the feeling that that’s why they are going there.

CHILDREN

There needs to be a place for babies & kids.  In the Drop-In space we should see the multiple generations and get young people exposed to the community. This needs to be safe space for children.

LOCKERS

There might be amnesty lockers in the vestibule. We need larger lockers in general. Lockers should be big enough to store large suitcases long-term.  The rule is there can be no visible weapons or drugs in the space. Typically staff will store and return any drugs or weapons that young people give them upon entry.

RESTROOMS

The restrooms and spaces should all be safe injection sites.

The restrooms should be really, really nice. No white walls, possible painted with queer icons throughout the bathrooms.  Vanity mirrors should be really nice.

WAITING ROOMS

Currently the waiting room is really chaotic. We need more space to sit down. They like the music playing in the waiting room and the instant contact from the receptionist. They would like a TV in the waiting room.

At BYC you can walk in and get on hormones the same day, which is great. Other facilities send young people to BYC for that service.

DROP-IN

They would like two Drop-In spaces – one that is high energy and one that is low energy. High energy should freeflow to low energy so that young people can direct themselves to the vibe they are needing, instead of being told to be quiet by staff.

SOLITUDE SPACES

We need to have spaces for individual activities and solitude for young people who want to be alone. This might be:

• Weight room
• Reading area
• Library

HEATERS

Provide heaters outdoors for people waiting to get in.

SOUND

Make sure the interior spaces are attenuated so you can’t hear police sirens and noise from the street.