Young people from the User Voice Youth Council in Southwark have made a film that aims to change perceptions of ex-offenders.
Teaming up with Fixers, an innovative charity which makes high-quality multi-mdeia resources about issues that are important to young people, based on their real life experiences, the project involved the making of a short video called 'The Line Up' aimed at challenging stereotypes.
The final-cut of the film was screened on 27th November at an event at the South London Gallery to an audience that included staff from Southwark Council, London Probation Trust and User Voice. Nigel Hosking, from the London Probation Trust, was impressed with the film: 'it stops people in their tracks and makes them question their own beliefs and attitudes...the film is excellent for all those reasons and should go down well in schools, youth clubs'
Shauna, a User Voice associate youth engagement coordinator, led the project. Talking about the motivations of the young people people behind it she said:
We want people to get the picture that young offenders are not monsters. They’re people who have made a mistake and should be treated normally. We're hoping to achieve greater understanding among members of the public of what the concept of being a young offender is. We want to get this resource out nationally. I am a young person and I understand the issues young people face. If I can raise them properly, then it’s a job well done.
