We, Media Community Network (MCN), continue to promote social values among young people through film and documentary. Through participation and empowerment to young people social vices such as drug, alcohol, domestic violence, including relationship, cultural tensions and so much more can be addressed understood and targeted directly. The founder I remain dedicated to delivering high quality bespoke projects that really do make a difference to the next generation of young people and society.
The board of trustees whom are lawyers, and teachers have been supportive for a number of years and it would allow us as a team to make the strategic decisions needed to position ourselves locally and nationally that would vastly widen our audience reach. MCN believes we have a unique working model that grows community cohesion at grass roots using fun, humour using real life situations and facts often incorporating statutory legislation.
We are currently fund raising to deliver a project called BUS STOP KIDS – Route 53 that covers Woolwich, Lewisham and Westminster (over 300 schools will benefit from this project) it will raise awareness and provide an opportunity for young people to think about how they present themselves and how they impact on others. It will allow engaged discussion to take place concerning mental health, poor body hygiene, aggressive behaviour and overtly loud mobile phone conversations, use of language and the implications thereon. We are intending that this film promote a sense of belonging and community for people using local transport and the flavoursome London characters we all love. MCN are hugely skilled at creating positive dialogue without fear mongering and we have already been offered free support by comedienne Helen Lederer to be a jolly commuter/devil’s advocate, and are currently exploring possibilities of Thandie Newton as a random commuter who will participate in a workshop demonstrating ‘identity’ which will develop presentation skills in preparation for the work place and interview technique. The expertise we will call upon for training will be provided by “Advocality” www.advocality.co.uk.
We would work with a group of 10 disadvantaged young people, parents and teachers and London Transport to make one documentary film that can be delivered to over 300 schools across a minimum of 3 boroughs. We have been advised by the Education Department at Goldsmiths University that children travelling through Woolwich have been affected by a spate of muggings which has prevented Year 7 children (aged 11) from travelling on the connecting buses. They now wish to use a MCN film project as a case study to explore resolution in line with their research area looking at the impact of excluded children on wider society.
There are a number of prepared proposals that remain close to our hearts, one of which is a film that provides legal advice to children with HIV but there are so many youth issues and winning this Award would make many of our projects in the pipeline a reality.