Three teenager boys from Southwark and a teenage girl as project lead have started training Met police recruits. This ground-breaking scheme is run by Elevated Minds.
Check out the LET’S TALK Videos on our FILMS page. Three feature these young people: in LT#8 they meet up with British rapper Zuby; in LT#9, the team are buoyant after delivering their second training session; in LT#10, after their fourth session, two of the young team talk with the police regulatory body, IOPC and project lead Sahara has strong ideas for taking the project forwards and upwards.
In 2021 LET’S TALK has been focusing on the positive story of attempts by young members of the Black community to build better relations with the Police. Four teenagers lead the way. The three latest videos document this unexpected initiative.
See also our LET’S TALK Video Report 2020 for a full breakdown of how last year’s Forums panned out.
In early 2019 and 2020, LET’S TALK ran Forums providing young people with professionals to talk to. Film Screenings in the Autumn of 2019 showed young people what their peers were saying and doing, such as The Movement Factory and their production “One Road, Two Paths”. A powerful musical about knife crime created by pupils at Harris Academy Peckham has now been performed at Bold Tendencies with the Multi-Story Orchestra.
LET’S TALK, set up by Peckham-based Community TV Trust, is a four year project spanning 2019-2022, with forums and film screenings in schools and youth clubs.
LET’S TALK confronts social dysfunction by listening. From a Panel of professionals listening to young people comes positivity, as LET’S TALK Panel members pass on their findings to our elected representatives and policymakers and take back fresh thinking into their own work.
The next phase concentrates on Family, which some say is in crisis – affected by poverty, unemployment, not to mention youth violence and knife crime and the Covid-19 pandemic which has intensified isolation and mental health issues. So LET’S TALK!
Get in touch by emailing: chris@communitytvtrust.org
Community TV Trust [CTVT] offers media training & filmmaking in schools, PRUs and workshops for the disabled and marginalised. It engages people and young people in open-ended creative work, linking Community to Education.
LET’S TALK in 2021 has still been listening to young people, despite Covid-19. So – don’t be afraid, speak out. You may surprise yourself. Anonymity is offered. In the first instance, contact chris@communitytvtrust.org
Stop & Search – County Lines – Peer Pressure – Exclusion – Mental Health – Social Media – Exams
Parents may be stressed or broke.
Neighbourliness can dispel isolation and tackle mental health.
Schools: Build bridges for young people into community.
If no youth club, you are their hub.
In Autumn 2021 LET’S TALK hopes to run more Forums in schools and youth clubs in Southwark. Previously the panel of listening professionals has included a Judge, schools officers, a mentoring campaigner, headteachers, youth workers, a surgeon, a Baptist youth pastor, a top Civil Servant now retired, a Stop & Search consultant, a community/Police liaison specialist, a theatre youth officer, an academic, and a filmmaker.
LET’S TALK big issues
Stop & Search is everywhere. For some it is a regular occurrence, especially young Black males. Two we are filming a documentary with have both been stopped fifty times.
Most however view Stop & Search as necessary. But – (i) do you know your rights? and (ii) would the police officer please treat you with respect?
What if Stop & Search were seen as an opportunity for rebuilding trust and confidence?
Be strong, calm and courteous. Whether you’re the officer or the citizen, show respect.
Where can I get support from?
Trust – someone you trust. If not a parent, carer, teacher or friend, then
- Anonymous helplines can provide good listening and fresh thoughts
- Crimestoppers guarantee anonymity if that is relevant
- Samaritans are always there for you if depression is winning
In 2021 LET’S TALK has been concentrating on video production, particularly using Zoom technology. We’ve now published ten substantial discussion videos on a range of topics from Stop&Search to county lines, featuring teenagers, a rapper, passionate campaigners, a new cop, a filmmaker, a police regulator, a QC and a theatre worker.
Contact chris@communitytvtrust.org if you would like to contribute or participate.
Combatting County Lines
"County Lines: Protecting children from exploitation" At LET'S TALK we are concerned about school exclusions, seeing them as feeding disaffected and vulnerable young people to predators on the streets. Running drugs from London out into the provinces and further afield [...]
Southwark YIAG
If you are 14 or older and looking to play a role in local life - The recruitment of young people to join the Southwark Youth Independent Advisory Group remains open. There is an information session being held Thursday 28th January 4pm via [...]
LET’S TALK Video Report 2020
After five Forums in a range of venues, here is a substantial video discussion featuring panellists from the past two years of working around Southwark in schools, a youth club and a theatre. https://vimeo.com/495904895 Contributors alongside the young people of [...]
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