[Netnews-action] 23 Feb: Tameside Youths Demonise Adults - A Film - A Fright - A Future ?

[Manchester Campaigns]

-------- Forwarded Message --------
> From: Stephen Kingston <stephenk at care4free.net>

> 
> GROUNDED – a feature film…a fright…a genuine feeling from young
> working class people of what’s facing them around the political
> corner…
> 
> World Premiere 23rd February 2006
> 
> Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-u-Lyne
> 
> The year: 2009
> 
> Verna (13 year old leader of child outlaws, the Little Ghosts): I
> thought this was all your great plan, the revolution for the country…
> The gene – it’s all rubbish isn’t it ?…Just a backdrop for your great
> plan for the future…
> 
> Eva Hardart (Minister of Youth Affairs): No, it’s not true…the gene
> exists…we’ve been doing the research for years..
> 
> Verna: OK, if it exists how come your kids don’t have it ? Or the
> Prime Minister’s kids…Come on…
> 
> Eva: Test results have shown…
> 
> Verna: …that on council estates…scrag-ends…kids from single parent
> families …poor black kids…have this gene…Listen to yourself woman… you
> make me sick…
> 
> Eva: But we’ve done the research for years…respected physicians,
> professors…we’ve been helping young people, not killing them…
> 
>  
> 
> GROUNDED…the shocking biological future with its footprint already on
> our doorsteps…
> 
> The year: 2006
> 
> Greater Manchester Police admits that 196 ten year olds have had gene
> samples taken from them in the last 12 months. No parental consent was
> necessary. Nationally 24,000 children aged 10 -18 have also had gene
> samples taken and stored on the National DNA Data Base. None of these
> children have been convicted of any crime. This practice is banned in
> every other country in Europe, including Scotland. 
> 
> "Youth crime is declining…it’s hard to believe given the fear agenda I
> think the Government has" says Janet Batsleer of ASBO Concern "It’s
> much more to do with targetting and putting across a view that young
> people in our poorest communities are a threat to the rest of us…"
> 
>  
> 
> GROUNDED – the feature film – devised by young working class people
> from Tameside…young people, aged 13 –17, who are the most vulnerable
> members of society…These are young people who have found this project
> through Tameside Youth Service, Positive Activities for Young People
> and by word of mouth. They’ve never acted before. They’ve never
> devised a feature film before. But they’re tuned into the angst of the
> early 21st Century. They know what’s coming…
> 
> GROUNDED - THE FINAL SOLUTION…
> 
> …Riding high on a tide of fear, the recently formed Social Democratic
> Party has won the 2009 General Election promising a final solution to
> the `Youth Problem’. Headed by the Minister for Youth Affairs, Eva
> Hardart, the solution is to identify those children carrying the
> `Anti-Social Behaviour Gene’, remove them from their homes and intern
> them in treatment camps (Step Rehabilitation Centres) using chemical
> behaviour modifiers to to target the gene.
> 
> GROUNDED follows the story of Luke, a young internee who has escaped
> from the Ashton S.R.U., persued by the Guardians – a private police
> force funded by Wonderkind Pharmaceuticals and led by the psychotic Mr
> Lizar. Luke finds himself on Saddleworth Moor where he is taken in by
> a community of outlaw children (Little Ghosts)…But when the worlds of
> Eva Hardart, the Guardians, Luke and the Little Ghosts collide, the
> unpalatable truth about the UK’s brave new vision begins to emerge…
> 
> GROUNDED – stars young people from Tameside and features professional
> actors Janine Birkett (Billy Elliot), Neil Bell (Shameless) and former
> British Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Michael Murray. 
> 
> Grounded – produced by REELmcr in partnership with Tameside Youth
> Service…
> 
> "The purpose of of REELmcr project is not to challenge anti-social
> behaviour but to promote social behaviour" Terry Egan, Director
> REELmcr
> 
> Further media details, photos, interviews, press tickets, trailers etc
> 
> Contact: Stephen Kingston
> 
> Grounded Press Dept
> 
> 0161 792 8956
> 07957 982960 
> 
> stephenk at care4free.net 
> 
> NOTES FOR EDITORS
> 
>       * GROUNDED was devised by young people from Tameside who also
>         star in the movie…This is what they have to say: 
> 
>  
> 
> Mandy Branson, 14 (plays Verna, leader of the Little Ghosts)
> 
> "This project is not just important to all the young people who took
> part but to every young person in the country. We live in an unfair
> society where young people are all branded the same, this film has
> given us a voice."
> 
> 
> Nicky Woolley, 14 (plays Nicky, a Little Ghost)
> 
> "Although Grounded is set in the future it’s mostly like the present
> anyway…the Government’s still the same really and the kids are the
> same. Most of the time we do get hassle from the police. It’s been fun
> to do and I’ve enjoyed it. I want to stick with acting."
> 
> Dean Hallworth, 16 (plays Luke)
> 
> "Luke comes from a good background, he was good at school and never
> did anything wrong. But he got the gene discovered , got sent to one
> of these camps and it messes up his head. The experience wrecks his
> future, when he doesn’t deserve it. I’ve never done any acting before
> but now I want to be in a Hollywood blockbuster…"
> 
>  
> 
> Sue Nathan, head of Tameside Youth Sevices says:
> 
> "The idea behind the film was to give young people a voice on the
> issues around anti-social behaviour and the current legislation
> surrounding this. They have learnt new skills, increased confidence
> and self-esteem, and have opportunities that young people have never
> had before. The project has enabled young people from all over
> Tameside to get involved in a high profile prestigious project – which
> is at the cutting edge for young people. It has provided the
> opportunity to debate and further understand the issues – and for
> young people to articulate their feelings. The project will help to
> break down the barriers between young people and older people and
> create greater understanding and tolerance – it will also break down
> territorial issues."
> 
>  
> 
> About the young people
> 
> All the young people are being key-worked through the Positive
> Activities for Young People project – some of these youngsters are
> already at risk of exclusion.
> 
> Jacqui Carroll, Deirector of Grounded and REELmcr says:
> 
> "The young people from Tameside should be incredibly proud of their
> achievements.  Throughout this project, they have dealt with the
> sensitive issue of anti social behavior in a positive and insightful 
> fashion. The film they have created shows a society which, although
> set in the future, has links which are all too clear with present
> day."
> 
> 
> Janine Birkett, who plays Minister of Youth Affairs Eva Hardart says:
> 
> "I play the Minister who is highly ambitious and slightly blinkered in
> what she does… She’s not altogether bad but she’s not altogether good
> either. Although some of her ideas are very extreme she has a
> stereotypical view of what working class youth is about – I don’t
> think she has much experience outside of certain circles. Hazel Blears
> name has come up quite a lot but actually I thought of Margaret
> Thatcher straight away – I can’t help it I’m a child of the 80s – it’s
> that way in which she had such certainty about what she was doing, yet
> there were other people in the world who thought that what she was
> doing was radically wrong. 
> 
> "It’s the first time I’ve worked with these young people but they’re a
> great crowd, loads of energy. "
> 
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