- Mediabox
- Mediabox proud to introduce Youth Media Changes Lives
- Watch our new beginner's guides to production
- New Mediabox series
- Screening and award highlights
- Tony Blair Faith Foundations global film competition open for entries
- Channel 4 and Community Channel screen new short films made by young people
- BBC Blast and BFI Future Film Festival
- Mediabox at the Victoria and Albert Museum
- Further Funding
Mediabox proud to introduce Youth Media Changes Lives
Since launch in 2006, Mediabox has enabled over 20,000 young people to create media projects and get their voices heard.In the new Mediabox film, Youth Media Changing Lives we meet a handful of the young people behind these voices who have benefited from Mediabox over the past five years.
Andrew Stirling from Glasgow experienced homelessness at the age of 16 and felt like an outcast with little to look forward to. Then he was introduced to Mediabox and was able to tell his own story through animation. He discovered that it was something he loved and even managed to secure a place at university to study special effects and compositing. Andrew says, “If I had not got involved with Mediabox I don’t think I would have been able to go to university. Mediabox bridges the gap between what you can do and what you want to do.”
Next the film moves south, to the Midlands, where a group of 11-18 year olds in foster care and residential units have come together to form their production company, Chatback Productions, thanks to funding from Mediabox. The group’s most recent achievement is ‘Handle with Care’, a touching coming of age drama about two young people affected by domestic violence. Being involved with Chatback allows these young people to take their negative real-life experiences and do something positive with them. Some of the young people are now talking about going to university, such is the impact of being involved with Chatback and getting their voices heard.
Lastly the film introduces Aaron Hanson, who at 18 had no qualifications or job and no one who would be willing to give him a reference. That was until he was introduced to Reprezent, an online youth radio station for 13-25 year olds in southeast London, which is partially funded by Mediabox. Two years later Aaron has a whole range of new skills and experience as well as the confidence to find his dream job.
