TRASH Youth Council get it right
Young people from TRASH Youth Council, who presented an evening of film and performance in Portaferry, to explore the current attitudes on issues concerned with the Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
TRASH Youth Council (Teenagers in Rural Ards Shout Health) have spent the last couple of months working with drama facilitator Adam Wallace and filmmaker, Michael Lennox to create a short film documentary and showcase event about the proposed Bill of Rights in Northern Ireland.
The showcase event, which was the climax to the hard work of the young people, on the Bill of Rights, took place in Portaferry Community Centre on Wednesday 23rd January. The evening was a resounding success, depicting in a variety of educational dramatizations as well as some lively audience participation workshops, highlighting some of the very important issues that may be addressed through a Bill of Rights. According to one participant “An interesting idea – an evening conducted by young people. A lot of effort, which made us think, well done.”
Funded by Community Foundation NI, this challenging project has been managed by a collaborative group made up of representatives from East Down Rural Community Network, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Education and Library Board and Ards Arts part of Ards Borough Council.
The young people have submitted a report and their documentary to the Bill of Rights Forum. For groups or individuals still interested in having your voice heard on the Bill of Rights there is time to have your say. The Human Rights Consortium, a coalition of over 120 organisations from across Northern Ireland is running a major advertising campaign focused on encouraging the public to have their say on the content of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. As part of the campaign members of the public can have their say on the content of a Bill of Rights by using the lobbying tool at http://www.billofrightsni.org
For further information or to receive a free copy of the DVD please contact East Down Rural Community Network on 028 9182 8884 or Ards Borough Council’s Community Arts Development Officer on 028 9181 0803.