One of my areas of interest is in co-production stemming from my background in devised performance and performance studies processes.
In 2020 the documentary ‘Excluded’ that only features the voices, opinions and solutions from young people to address school exclusion was launched while I was working as Communications and Creative Director at a strategic communications charity - EachOther.
“You were using the Lundy model, before you even knew it was the Lundy model”
In 2021, I worked with Just for Kids Law to take the conversations about school exclusion onward with a new group of people affected by exclusion in a homage to Googlebox.
In 2022, I produced an event in Scotland to bring together human rights organisations, educators, and local authorities and not for profit organisations to talk about co-production and school exclusion held at the CCA in Glasgow’s city centre.
Excluded - the documentary
This film was co-created by the young people that appeared in it. Not all of the young people involved wanted their names credited, but those that did are as follows:
Co-creators: Dee Afriyie, MJ Anderson, Erin Campbell, Cody Day, Cristian Fernandez, William Fraser, Liam Fowley, Darren Keenan, Kelso MacDonald, Kadeem Marshall-Oxley, Betty Mayo, Natalia Morgan, Joe O’Brien, Semilore Orekoya, Jordane Oso, Adrianna Winiarska
This project began in 2018, when I saw young people had held a protest against exclusions on the London Underground and I wanted to find out what had driven them to risk arrest. The more I heard the stories about exclusion from young people, the more I was convinced the film should only feature their voices. We hear so often about school exclusions from politicians, journalists and teachers but rarely from the people they affect the most.
My first long-form documentary only features the voices of young people – those most affected by exclusion – who share their stories and views on this complex issue. When young people are excluded from school, they are at risk, of being drawn into serious youth violence – as both victims and perpetrators – are overrepresented in the prison system and often have their home life and private life disrupted.
I was keen to ensure that all affected young people were offered the opportunity to work (and be paid at London Living Wage) and be named as consultants and researchers on the film. In addition I didn’t want their stories to only focus on their difficult experiences but instead show that it is the young people who experience theses issues who are the people with the most credible and compelling ideas about what needs to change. The solutions they raised chimed with best practice thinking that underpins compassionate education approaches like the ‘Nurture’ programme in Glasgow.
There were young people who had been temporarily excluded, permanently excluded, indirectly excluded, and those that had never been excluded – often referred to as ‘the other 29’ in a class. The film features No Lost Causes campaign group and young people in Pupil Referral Units known as PRUs or alternative provision. I spoke to young people in London and in Scotland, including the Scottish Youth Parliament’s education and human rights committees. And in the middle of the pandemic, I travelled to St Roch’s school, at the heart of the inclusive, compassionate learning model that has brought about change in Glasgow.
News about the documentary
Awards
I’m delighted to announce that Excluded is one of four nominees for the Learning on Screen Awards 2023 - keep up to date with the process by following the film’s new Twitter account
Where its being used
The Open University has elected to use the film on a core course on two education MAs from October 2023. More information to follow!
On 9th November 2022, I delivered a day conference and screened the Excluded documentary at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in the centre of Glasgow. This event was held in the afternoon, with two panels, one focussing on co-production and one on school exclusion. Each panel heard from organisations working in these areas and by young people affected by these issues. Each panel was co-facilitated by young people alongside Professor Laura Lundy from Queen's University Belfast.
“The Excluded event was both extremely enlightening, and edifying to attend. The rich panel discussion, driven by audience participation, highlighted the nuances of exclusion that are frequently omitted from existing debate. I came away feeling not only more informed, but enriched by discussion between organisers, the panel, and audience.”
Dr Amy Hanna – Stratchclyde University
The co-production panel was co-chaired by Laura Lundy and Betty Mayo who features and worked on the film and included Juliet Harris Director of Together along with Olivia Brown MSYP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh. The Exclusion Panel was chaired by Laura Lundy and Beinn Grant MSYP for Perthshire North and Convener of the Education and Life-long Learning Committee and included Bruce Adamson, The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Iain Nisbet, specialist in the field of education law, and Consultant Solicitor from Cairn Legal in Glasgow and Zainab Adeleye MSYP for Glasgow Southside.
“The Excluded event was fantastic – every aspect was engaging, from the powerful and moving voices of, both, the young people who have travelled through so much adversity already and the impassioned professionals working alongside them, championing their inclusion and participation; to the wonderful film that gave a true platform to the voices of real young people. I met an amazing mix of contributors, organisers and audience members, which, during the course of an evening, were able to voice and demonstrate their shared passion and commitment towards the issue while not shying away from the challenges ahead, the impact it continues to have and the difficult discussions we must approach collectively and with equity”. Garry Donegan, Grants Advisor, Corra
The event pulled an audience from across education, children services, the BBC and civil society. Some of the organisations that signed up to be there included GMAC Film, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Corra Scot, academics from Strathclyde University and the Scottish Government including a large contingent from the Scottish Youth Parliament. I worked to ensure that people were engaging with the ideas throughout and that as much as I was able – I facilitated a space of conversation and discussion, bringing people together to start relationships that would extend onwards to forge relationships and collaboration in Scotland around these issues.
It is rare to be in a conference where young people are truly on equal footing due to their expertise by experience with world leading professionals. The young people shone and their message about ending exclusion was clear."
Excluded the documentary has been nominated for the best Educational Film 2023 - results will be announced at a public event at the BFI on 4 May. Keep up to date with the process and get tickets for the event by following the film’s Twitter account.