Your issues in the frame
The fourth what we want! (www!) project recruited 10 groups of young filmmakers and photographers from across London. www! gives 13-19 year olds the opportunity to express what they feel passionate about, what concerns them and what it’s like to be a young person in London today through film or photography. This year the project was supported by Mediabox.
The scheme ran from August to December 2010, encouraging independent, creative thinking. Right from the application and interview stage the 19 young people took responsibility for developing and executing their project and they learnt organisational aspects such as budget control, holding auditions and arranging interviews. They were also trained on filming and shooting techniques as well as all aspects of post-production, receiving up to £500 to help them realise their vision.
The students developed their projects with the support and training of media mentors from Shake Ur Arts and Chocolate Films. They also got the opportunity to meet professionals working in the film and photography industry who offered them additional advice and the opportunity to learn about ways into the industry. Four industry evenings took place; the photographer evenings included a visit and talk at the Photographers Gallery, and a talk by photographer Emily Allchurch. Film evenings saw talks by Ed Blum, Matt Delargy, Larry Lamb, Tom Linay and Havana Marking.
The short films explore the themes of conflict, volunteering, speaking out, bereavement and aspirations, whilst the photography projects look at youth stereotypes, environmental issues, family issues, teen pregnancy and the beauty industry.
Find out what’s been happening on this www! project, including write ups from all the visits from industry professionals (including Larry Lamb!), on the dedicated project blog.
The winning projects
Film projects
Home Sweet Home – Safeen, Abida and Nadeya
This animation explores how war effects young people, and how they are marginalised.
Read about this groups project on their blog
The Power of Volunteering - Farah and Aadam
After documentary highlight the benefits of volunteering.
Read about this groups project on their blog
A Lifeless Life - Pascale and Subhan
A thought provoking drama questioning the pace in which we live our lives, and the desire to hold on to small moments.
Read about this groups project on their blog
Trapped - Gemma
Following the lives of two teenagers living in London, ‘Trapped’ investigates the struggle against everyday problems and lifestyles to achieve your aspirations.
Read about this project on Gemma’s blog
Mute - Denzel, Luke, Jemma and James
If you see something happening, do you stay silent or do you speak out?
Read about this groups project on their blog
Photography projects
Speak up: Memoirs of a South London Youth - Chiago
Challenging the traditional stereotypes of youth today, this project explores how young people are judged on appearance.
Read about this project on Chiago’s blog
The Warning - Jatinder
With global warming becoming an ever increasing story in the media, this photo project explores environmental issues and the way people treat the planet.
Read about this project on Jatinder’s blog
The American Dream - Natalie and Luso
A striking photo project exploring domestic violence.
Read about this groups project on their blog
Actions have Consequences - Syanne
Inspired by the stories of real teenage parents, this challenging photo project looks at teen pregnancy.
Read about this project on Syanne’s blog
Inner Beauty - Sahai
This project aims to shine new light on the perception of beauty and seeks to portray the inner beauty rarely covered by the beauty industry.
Read about this project on Sahai’s blog
See all the photo projects on our flickr page
You can own the amazing work produced by the young people by purchasing the www! 2010 book. This full colour book includes information on all ten projects, as well as every photo produced by the young photographers. Any proceeds are split between the young people and the charity.
Showcase and exhibition
At the end of November 2010, over 100 guests joined the www!ers for an exclusive private view of this year’s work at the Maverik Showroom in Shoreditch, and were treated to an inspirational programme of entertainment. The free exhibition was open to the public for a further week, showcasing the wide range of thought-provoking themes with fantastic feedback from the public.
'An excellent evening, highly thought provoking. A great opportunity for the young people to show their achievements', guest at private view.
See photos from the Showcase on our flickr page. You can also hear all about it thanks to Reprezent Youth Radio who came along and interviewed www! film makers and photographers. Find out about their experiences and inspirations by following the links on Revealed culture show to listen to the podcast - we're at 10 minutes 53 seconds in.
If you've any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by phone on 020 7247 7900 or by email to whatwewant [at] futureversity.org
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