A multi-award winning charity led by young people in Bristol has produced two short films which aim to challenge knife violence and colourism (discrimination based on skin tone). The two short films, Theatre Boy and Shade, premiered at the Bristol Aquarium for charity Integrate UK’s annual conference but are now available to view on YouTube.
The two impactful dramas are the latest projects created by Integrate UK, a multi-award-winning, youth-led charity that works towards gender and racial equality. They are both set in Bristol and feature young local actors who were able to develop their skills while working on the project.
The team at Bristol-based Integrate UK have been known to produce many powerful films for young people, exploring challenging topics and giving a voice to under-represented members of the community. Their previous projects include the YouTube hit ‘Love Bomb’, a drama that explores the issue of coercive control and toxic relationships and the anti-FGM music video #MyClitoris, which attracted international acclaim.
Together For Change Aims
Set up a task force – We will develop a community-driven task force to meet and discuss the issue, how best to tackle it and how we can make a real difference with those in power.
Getting knives off the street – We will work with the campaigners to raise awareness of initiatives designed to get knives off the streets.
Social media – We will look at the Online Safety Bill and see if it goes far enough where it comes to harmful knife-related content on social media and how easy it is for children to see.
Raise awareness – We will work together to raise the awareness of how knife crime is linked to poverty, education, employment, social exclusion and the collapse in youth services
Lobby the government -We will cover the issue in the context of the General Election, using our findings from the taskforce and our reporting to lobby for change
Hold power to account – We will scrutinise and hold Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council to account on their plans and models to make Bristol safer
Theatre Boy explores the life of Anthony, who is a young and impressionable teenager and aspiring actor who accidentally gets involved with a dangerous group of young men and subsequently falls victim to a knife attack. The moving drama highlights how easily innocent children can get caught up in knife violence because of their close proximity to it.
Lisa Zimmermann, CEO of Integrate UK, said:“We are incredibly proud of the work our young people do – if we really want a better society, we need to listen to our youth and ensure their voices are part of important conversations. If we give them opportunities and platforms and really learn to listen, anything is possible.”
Shade follows the story of two girls who face increasing pressure to conform to Eurocentric beauty ideals when experiencing colourism from society, peers and within their communities. The story is one of triumph with the two girls embracing their natural skin tones despite pressures for them to lighten their skin.
Theatre Boy and Shade are not just films, they are educational resources that will be used to facilitate discussions with students and to train teachers. Integrate UK’s projects are inspired and developed by the young people in the charity and the videos are used to campaign for change and as educational tools in the workshops they deliver nationally.
Through these workshops, young people are encouraged to challenge the status quo and to take proactive steps in creating safer communities. You can find out more about the work of Integrate UK on their website here.
Knife crime has had a devastating impact on Bristol in 2024, so Bristol Live has joined forces with others to launch a campaign saying enough is enough. In a show of solidarity to illustrate we are speaking with one voice, we have united alongside community leaders, charities and campaigners to launch Together for Change.