A group of 10 young people came together recently for the private premiere screening of their mental health story – a story the group had written, acted, filmed and edited as a 16-week dramatherapy project.

Screened at Chelmsford’s Everyman cinema, an audience made up of the project group; their families; funders; and Kids Inspire representatives the film explored issues such as:

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Fear

• Panic

• Loneliness

• Poor body image

• Anger and aggression

• Risky behaviour

• Unsuitable relationships

• The Adolescent Brain

The film offered a raw insight into the small group of young people (11-21) from Chelmsford and Braintree that had taken part in the facilitated dramatherapy and filmmaking group project.

Dan, from Sparks – the filmography part of the project – spoke with pride and enthusiasm about the cohort: “I heard the quieter members of the group flourishing as time went on, saying things like ‘this is my story, and I’d like you to act it like this and I’d like the camera here and the music for my bit will be…’

He went on to say: “It’s been so nice watching the group’s confidence grow. At the beginning of each session, they came in, shared about their week and then felt able to ‘park any baggage’ and get on with making something.”

Sue Bell, CEO and Founder of Kids Inspire remarked on the improvement of confidence in the young teens over the 16-weeks and additionally noted that: “It’s important to remember that resilience isn’t something we have or don’t have. It is something we can build, learn and improve over time. Childhood is a crucial time for mental health, and creating happy memories can build self-esteem and be a great help to draw on when life gets tough.”

The next cohort of the project is scheduled to start in October, please contact clinicaladmin@kidsinspire.org.uk or call 01245 348707 for more details.