Building on our video training experience, Soap Box Films was awarded a Big Lottery grant and funding from Children in Need to develop work with young people (13-19) across Merseyside (Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Halton, and Birkenhead, Bootle & Netherton). Until the end of May 2010 the subsidy is 58% off the total cost of the project (from June 2010 it will be 53%).

We also have funding from Liverpool City Council and the PCT which will offer a further subsidy on top of the Big Lottery and Children in Need subsidy to run two 8 day video training projects around the subject of health and well-being. This means that the two groups we intend to work with will only need to provide a further £250 in order to run the projects. If you are interested in doing one of these to projects then you will need to send us an outline of your idea on our pre-designed proposal template; to request a copy of the proposal template email info@soapboxfilms.org.uk For further details download our Health and Well-Being Leaflet or contact us on 0151 7088008. The deadline for applications is 4th June 2010.

These video training projects are similar to the ones outlined on our training page and can be tailor-made to suit the needs of the participants and the organisations we work with. So far we have worked with groups of young people to produce a wide range of video projects that look at issues such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, joyriding, truancy and many more. Further details on each of these project can be found below.

BIG LOTTERY AND CHILDREN IN NEED PROJECTS 2009 - 2010

'We're All The Same' (Huyton, Liverpool) - this project will involve 9 - 11 young people with learning disabilities. Over a period of eight days the participants will create a DVD that looks at the services on offer to young people in their area. The DVD will be used to get other young people involved in activites and events organised by the local youth service.

'Status Update' (Liverpool City Centre) - made young people from Fairbridge Merseyside this short experimental film tackles issues such as domestic violence, post-traumatic stress syndrome and online relationships. The young people invovled scripted, filmed, performed, edited, and produced music for the film. The film also won 'Best Original Screenplay' at the Fairbridge Film and Animation Awards 2010. Watch the film here.

'Holly Lodge' (West Derby, Liverpool) - this project involved young women who attend Holly Lodge school and focused on cyber-bullying. The work produced was used as evidence for the young women's GCSE.

'Spiked' (Wirral, Liverpool) - made by young people working with Wirral Youth Offending Team, this video project looked at the issues of spiking drinks and prank phonecalls. Watch the project here.

'Newton-le-willows' (Newton-le-willows, Merseyside) - this project focuses on the issues of peer pressure and bullying and is currently in production. Come back soon to see a clip from the film.

'Oakmere' (Walton, Liverpool) - this project focuses on actions and their consequences and is currently in production. Come back soon to see a clip from the film.

'HIV Project' (St. Helens, Merseyside) - this project is due to start at the end of June and it will focus on the issue of HIV. It will be used as an educational resource to inform young people about the virus.

BIG LOTTERY PROJECTS 2008 - 2009

'Bunkin' Blues' (Kirkby, Knowsley) – an 8 day project with a group of truants supported by Connexions. The 13 young people involved in the project, planned, shot and edited a short fictional film about the consequences of truancy. Watch a clip here.

'Size Zero' and 'Consequences' (Runcorn, Halton) - 2x 4 day projects with Halton Youth Service (supported by Splash funding) based at their new hub resource in Grangeway, and also in in Murdishaw Youth Club. The 11 young people involved during the project looked at the issues of the 'size zero debate' and knife crime and produced a short fictional film and an recorded audio-visual presentation. Watch a clip here.

'Things to do and Places to go' (Runcorn and Widnes, Halton) - two projects with two groups of young people with disabilities, primarily learning difficulties. There were 8 and 15 young people involved and both were 8 day projects, supported by Halton Youth Service. The end product of the project was a DVD that showed what other young people could get involved in doing within youth groups across the two areas. The DVD is currently being used in local educational organisations. Watch a clip here.

'Youth Art Interchance' (Tate, Liverpool) - a project with a group of teenage girls from Toxteth TV working in partnership with young people from the Tate and other galleries across Britain and Europe. The 4 participants worked over 7 days to learn camera, sound and editng skills to produce a lively documentary about the Youth Art Interchange at Tate, Liverpool in 2008. This project was supported by British Council and European Education and Culture. Watch a clip here.

'Uni Challenge' (Toxteth, Central Liverpool) - working with the Liverpool Youth Service and a group of 5 Somali young men, the project that looked at Somali culture and the pressures that young Somali men face in their daily lives in Liverpool. This was an 8 day project supported by the Liverpool Youth Service’s Youth Opportunities Fund.

'Closing Doors' (Birkenhead, Merseyside) - this project involved 8 young people who had experienced homelessness. This short film dramatises the reality of being a young person living on the streets. The project ran for 8 days over a series of weeks and was supported by Wirral Youth Service. Watch a clip here.

'Rampworx' (Netherton, Liverpool) - this project involved 9 young people from the wider Netherton area and looks at the positive impact that Rampwork's Skatepark has had on the lives of young people who access its services. The young people used a wide range of documentary techniques to produce an energetic video. Watch the documentary here.

'What the Tabacco Industry doesn't want you to know' (Central Liverpool) - this project involved a group of young people from an advocacy group that seeks to promote health in terms of the dangers of smoking. The young people involved in the project planned, shot and edited thier video over a period of eight days.

'Joyride' (Huyton, Liverpool) - this project involced young men from the Huyton area. The theme of the video is joy-riding and bike crime and its effects on the lives of young people and other people within the community. The DVD will be used as an educational resource to inform other young people about issue.

'Unprotected' (Huyton, Liverpool) - this project will invovled young women and men from the Huyton area. The young people produced a short docu-drama about teenage pregnancy that will be used as an educational resource to inform other young people about issue. Watch the docu-drama here.

If you are interested in working with us, then please contact us for more detailed information on 0151 708 8008 or info@soapboxfilms.org.uk