YOUNG MEN; WORST FEARS
by Jillian Edelstein
Young Men, Worst Fears was developed while mentoring underprivileged youth at North London's Arsenal Football Club. I noticed regular and alarming reports about the deaths of local young men in knife related stabbings and high levels of male suicide in national and local newspapers. When talking with the young men, I discovered that absent fathers, gangs, drugs, childhood poverty, a dearth of male role models, mental health issues, existential issues related to the 'growing pains' of young men emerging into adulthood in challenging inner city London, was a common theme running through all of their lives. It seemed that the question 'What is your worst fear?' ignited their imagination and caused them to keenly vocalise their frustrations.
The portrait of Gabriel Harvey whose fear is Isolation was a finalist in the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2017. Gabriel knew that he was gay from a very early age – homophobia, bullying, peer group pressure are some of the other challenges facing these young men as they navigate their uneasy way into adulthood.
