East Manchester Mini Movie Makers Project - Mission Possible

Paradocs Films has been working with a group of young people from East Manchester to create a short film to encourage young people to make more informed decisions. Eleven people from Beswick, supported by Young Advisor Danny Robinson, contributed to the film, which they called "Mission Possible."

The idea stemmed from a residents meeting that some young people attended with their parents. They had felt left out at the Riverside Environmental Community Action meetings, unable to voice their opinions. A separate meeting for young people was set up, where they were given the opportunity to discuss things that were important to them.

In these meetings, the newly formed group talked about decisions that they would face in the future, such as: where to live; whether to buy or rent a house and how to pay for it; should they go to university; can they afford a car; where to get career advice; and what about marriage and children?

There were all big issues for the young people, and they began to explore the people that might influence the decisions they make. These included: head teachers; the leader of the council (referred to as the 'man that runs Manchester'); Eastland Homes; and the Chief Executive of New East Manchester (known as 'whoever is responsible for what's going on in Beswick')

The documentary they created shows that their opinions matter, and that they want to be involved in making decisions, especially those that affect the community that they care about.

The young people met with and interviewed a number of influential people from Manchester such as Tony Lloyd MP and Councillor Jeff Smith, Lead Member for Children's Services. Contributions to the film also came from Tom Russell, Chief Executive of New East Manchester, Councillor Neil Swannick, Sean McGonigle, Co-ordinator New Deal for Communities with added viewpoints from other members of the community concerning B of the Bang and the proposed casino development.

The film was premiered at the Odeon in Manchester, and you can now see it online in the Media Centre. The group, known as the Mini Movie Makers is made up of Danny Robinson (Young Advisor), Konnor and Kelsey Thomson, Charlotte and Cammeron Moore, Darian Ankers, Leigh Farrand, Jamie-Lee Kennedy, Thomas Redfearn, Mason Dilan and Sarah Annette.