Film aims to bridge the generation gap in Jedburgh
Thursday, August 16 2007
Jedburgh. A sleepy wee toon nestled on the edge of the Scottish Borders, timeless and quiet..... Or is it?
A letter to the Southern Reporter last October sparked off controversy over ‘mob rule’ by teenagers in Jedburgh. Over the last few months a group of young people have been working with VOMO (Voice of My Own) – SBC’s Arts Development film project – and Dialogue Youth to examine the reality behind the headlines.
The film ‘Mob Rule’ was commissioned by the Jedburgh Locality Integration Team, and driven by a sub-group within this team who approached VOMO for support. The film seeks to reduce the fear of crime associated with young people and to break down generational barriers.
The young people have been researching library archives, conducting vox pop interviews throughout Jedburgh and also been involved in focus groups with older members of the Jedburgh public.
The film represents the different viewpoints of young people and other generations and will be screened publicly in Jedburgh Town Hall on Friday 24 August at 7.30pm. The invitation is open to all and the event is free.
The film is 20 minutes long and, afterwards, there will be a Q&A panel made up of the young and old(er) people who made the film.
Mary Morrison, VOMO Project Manager, said: “The project has been a valuable process, with young and old working together to understand each other’s viewpoints. The young film-makers have been incredibly dedicated and Ronnie Johnston and Holly Finlayson, the project leaders, have done fantastic work with them. We’ve also had incredible support from project partner Reverend Denise Herbert from St John’s Episcopal Church in Jedburgh, who brought the older group together.”
Rev Herbert said: “This has been a worthwhile project as it has made all of us stop and think about some of the issues surrounding young people today – but also appreciating that perhaps little has changed from when we were young.”
Councillor Graham Garvie, Executive Member for Culture, Sport and Community Education, spoke with enthusiasm about the project: “This film has been a real journey for all who participated in it, young and old, and provides a model for good intergenerational work. We hope that the film will help to bridge gaps in understanding between different generations.”
The film will be available on DVD and on the VOMO website. It is also intended that it will be used in schools.
The project and the work of the focus groups has also been studied and evaluated by the University of Edinburgh.
Unified Solutions.