Part of the Etc.
Creative students are helping to spread the word about the importance of having a happy, healthy and positive body image.
Working in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Public Health team and Tees Valley Arts, a team of young people from Stockton Riverside College created a short animation to deliver the all-important message.
The film titled Be You, explores issues of body image and the pressures that social media can place on young people.
“The project’s aim was to address the unrealistic and unattainable body image messages that young people receive every day in the media and from society,” said Gemma Mann, Public Health Stockton’s Health Improvement Specialist.
Together the organisations came up with the idea of creating a short animation that would not only develop young people’s understanding of the range of body types that are healthy but also recognise the fake, airbrushed and exaggerated bodies that we regularly see in the media.
With an evidence base suggesting that participating in arts can help improve health and wellbeing, Gemma said: “This project combined arts and public health messages. The film, and session plans aim to support young people to develop resilience to social pressures to conform to unrealistic body ideals, and to promote positive body image for all young people.”
Working with professional animator Robin Webb and writer Michael Edwards, students studying Art and Design, Film and TV, Creative Media and Performing Arts at Stockton Riverside College were involved in the research, design and production process.
“It is really interesting what the young people chose to pick up in the film,” said Rowena Sommerville, Tees Valley Arts’ Chief Executive Officer. “As adults we can imagine what the issues are but it is so important that it comes from the young people’s own experience. It’s about young people speaking to young people.”
Film and TV student Chloe Handley, 19, of Billingham, said: “To be part of this film was a really interesting experience, it was something different to what we usually do and made us use our skills in a different way.
“The whole body image message was really good for our age group. It is something that our generation suffers with and it felt good to do something to help make a change.”
Jess Bramfitt, 18, of Darlington, also studies Film and TV. She said: “It is always fun to learn about something new. The film used stereotypes which it then tried to break down so people our age could identify to it.”
Be You, and session plans on body image will now be made available, free of charge to all organisations working with young people across the borough.
To see the animation visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJVpTfm2hmM
Working in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Public Health team and Tees Valley Arts, a team of young people from Stockton Riverside College created a short animation to deliver the all-important message.The film titled Be You, explores issues of body image and the pressures that social media can place on young people.
“The project’s aim was to address the unrealistic and unattainable body image messages that young people receive every day in the media and from society,” said Gemma Mann, Public Health Stockton’s Health Improvement Specialist.
Together the organisations came up with the idea of creating a short animation that would not only develop young people’s understanding of the range of body types that are healthy but also recognise the fake, airbrushed and exaggerated bodies that we regularly see in the media.
With an evidence base suggesting that participating in arts can help improve health and wellbeing, Gemma said: “This project combined arts and public health messages. The film, and session plans aim to support young people to develop resilience to social pressures to conform to unrealistic body ideals, and to promote positive body image for all young people.”
Working with professional animator Robin Webb and writer Michael Edwards, students studying Art and Design, Film and TV, Creative Media and Performing Arts at Stockton Riverside College were involved in the research, design and production process.
“It is really interesting what the young people chose to pick up in the film,” said Rowena Sommerville, Tees Valley Arts’ Chief Executive Officer. “As adults we can imagine what the issues are but it is so important that it comes from the young people’s own experience. It’s about young people speaking to young people.”
Film and TV student Chloe Handley, 19, of Billingham, said: “To be part of this film was a really interesting experience, it was something different to what we usually do and made us use our skills in a different way.
“The whole body image message was really good for our age group. It is something that our generation suffers with and it felt good to do something to help make a change.”
Jess Bramfitt, 18, of Darlington, also studies Film and TV. She said: “It is always fun to learn about something new. The film used stereotypes which it then tried to break down so people our age could identify to it.”
Be You, and session plans on body image will now be made available, free of charge to all organisations working with young people across the borough.
To see the animation visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJVpTfm2hmM
