YOUNGSTERS have created a short animated film highlighting the importance of working through emotional issues.
The film – titled ‘Beyond Reflection #We’re in this Together’ – illustrates the different issues young people face and how reaching out for support, and showing support to one another, can help.
It was developed as part of analysis work being undertaken by the council’s Public Health Children and Young People Team and South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board which is exploring services available for emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Over the past six months, a group of young people between 13 and 18 met regularly to share ideas for the production and content with the film’s creators at CYP Public Health and Barnsley College’s game design department – with additional involvement from the Youth Association and Chrissy Sykes, creator of the My Body is My Body Foundation.
Teresa Brocklehurst, children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing lead, headed up the project, and says: “The animation was something I wanted to develop to set the analysis work in context, as I thought it would be a creative way of demonstrating some of the issues children and young people face.
“The animation shows that young people have a myriad of issues, even though an individual may think they are the only one experiencing difficulties.
“It gives a clear message that it’s good for young people to share and support each other, as well as showing the range of issues a young person may face, it also suggests some coping mechanisms to illustrate that there are a range of methods to build emotional and mental health resilience.”
