Next Gen Menfulness
What does it mean to be a boy growing up today?
For many young men, navigating friendships, identity, expectations and mental health can feel complicated. Yet opportunities to talk openly about these experiences are often limited.
Next Gen Menfulness was created to change that.
Developed in partnership with Menfulness and the University of York, the project started by bringing together teenage boys from Inspire Academy in York to explore what masculinity, mental health and emotional wellbeing mean to them. Through a series of creative workshops, participants were given the space to reflect, share experiences and shape conversations around issues that directly affect their lives.
Originally funded through the University of York's Mentally Fit programme, the project placed young people's voices at the centre of the process, creating opportunities for them not only to contribute to discussions about mental health, but to lead them.
Listening, Creating, Sharing
Over six weeks, the group met regularly to talk, create and collaborate.
Together, they explored the pressures young men face, the expectations placed upon them, and the challenges of expressing emotions in a world that can often discourage vulnerability. Through discussion, creative activities and storytelling, participants were encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and discover the power of sharing them with others.
As with all of our participatory work, the focus was not on finding the "right" answers. Instead, the project created a space where young people could ask questions, challenge assumptions and speak honestly about their lives.
Young People Leading the Conversation
The experiences and ideas shared throughout the workshops became the foundation for a series of resources created by the participants themselves.
These included:
- A podcast exploring life as a teenage boy today.
- A Survival Guide - a peer-to-peer workbook designed to support and encourage other young people.
- A recorded monologue sharing personal reflections on masculinity and mental health.
- A short film examining identity, emotions and the realities of growing up.
Created by young people, for young people, these resources offer authentic insights into issues that are often discussed about young men rather than with them. By sharing their stories, participants have helped create tools that can support future conversations in schools, youth settings and communities across the region.
Creating Change Together
Next Gen Menfulness demonstrates what can happen when young people are trusted as experts in their own experiences.
Bringing together Menfulness' work in men's mental health, the University of York's research expertise and Next Door But One's participatory arts practice, the project created a model that combines creativity, conversation and lived experience to explore complex social issues.
The success of the pilot has already led to further investment through the Men's Mental Health Fund, supported by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. This funding will enable the partnership to work with more young people, develop new resources and continue creating spaces where boys and young men can speak openly about their mental health and wellbeing.
Looking Forward
The impact of Next Gen Menfulness extends far beyond the workshop room.
The resources developed by participants will continue to support conversations around mental health, resilience and positive masculinity, while the project's films, podcasts and community engagement activity will help amplify young people's voices across York and North Yorkshire.
Most importantly, the project has shown the value of listening.
By creating space for young people to tell their own stories, Next Gen Menfulness has helped ensure that conversations about boys' mental health are informed by those who understand the challenges best: the young people living them every day.