Young person Map 1

This Map was drawn up by a young person who visits the centre regularly, he agreed to help me with my project and offered an interpretation of the centre through this Mapping exercise. In contrast to my own Map there are many immediate differences worth outlining. To start with our maps differ in the way they were drawn up, it is more than obvious that my intent was to put as much information on the page as possible, it is my project and I hope to be thorough, in comparison the young person who as I said, agreed to help me out, though with some prompting, quickly put together his Map in his spare few moments when friends were busy doing something else, it was a laborious favour, he did want to help me out but he did not see the worth in doing it. I think this can be attained by looking at his Map, the attention to detail that I gave is apart of my Job as Researcher. Without dwelling on that too much it is also worthwhile pointing out a few other observations in comparing /contrasting the Maps. First, there are things left off my Map and the young persons Map that I did not intend or imagine to happen, such as, the Legal Graffiti Wall and or the Music Room. It really bugs me that I forgot about one of the most important spaces outside of the centre, the Legal Wall, I spend so much time, discussing, observing and photographing the Graffiti on the Legal Wall - I can't believe I forgot to add it to my Map. On the other hand, the young person's Map is missing the Music Room spaces, this I can understand, as I have never seen him use this space, and in direct comparison, the spaces he does use quite frequently (Legal Wall, Skate area and Drop-In Room) are both articulated and labelled the same as on my Map. For instance, the young person spends a lot of his time between the area outside of the front door near to the Basket Ball Hoop (the scribbled patch on the Map is sign of a Tree, they perch themselves on the wall under the tree) and through to the rear of the centre in the Drop -In Room. He and his friends populate this area most days and smoke cigarettes outside under the tree, hence it being an important area for them. What is interesting is how he has drawn the space between the tree and the Drop-In Room - much like my Map he has depicted the Hallway as an important thoroughfare, and he has indicated that the roof of the building hangs over the front wall of the entrance, he has not indicated doors, doorways, windows or anything like furniture. This shelter, at the front entrance is significant as it is one of the only places young people can smoke when it is raining, it is also the site of many interactions with staff and other young people, it is one of the constantly staffed areas when the centre is open, especially in the afternoons and it is the one place where young people can both see into the centre and outside to the larger community. Many young visitors are seen to move passed the front doors in a sweeping manner as to catch a glimpse of what's going on inside and who is there, before spinning around and entering the building or not.