Integrate Bristol Educational Resources for Equality and Integration

Integrate Bristol, a United Kingdom (UK) charity formed to help with the integration of young people and children who have arrived from other countries and cultures, runs entertainment-education projects with young people to help them develop their skills so that they can participate in society and feel a part of the community they have joined. (Editor's note: as of December 10, 2016, after 7 years in operation, the organisation is going national and is being relaunched as Integrate UK.) These projects are language based - they may involve film making, drama, other forms of media or indeed, any creative activities that encourage the sharing of culture and learning of new skills. The below offers a description of and access to some of these tools to give young people a platform for expressing their views and ideas, with a focus on community cohesion.

Video resources include, for example:

• Between The Lines, a music video about grooming for child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. The rap was written by the young people and is performed by @itsthatnazchick.
• Twin Track, an 18-minute teen drama about grooming, gang culture, and radicalisation. Shot on location in Bristol, the story follows two teenagers as they are lured into dangerous parallel worlds. This drama, whose story and script were developed by the young people, can be used as a educational resource; the young people of Integrate Bristol use it to deliver peer education in schools nationally. Students are invited to think about the complexities and manipulations of the grooming process and the vulnerabilities that can play a part in allowing perpetrators to target their victims. Students can be empowered to recognise the subtle changes that might occur when a young person is targeted, considering constructive responses to outside pressures that may isolate them and discussing what actions should be taken.
• #EVERYBODYSBUSINESS, a video made with the young people of Integrate Bristol in which a girl ignores abuse as it unfolds around her. This film is entirely one-shot and is part of a line of anti female genital mutilation (FGM) campaign videos to be used in schools by teachers.
• Anita's Dilemma, an FGM lesson starter. Two friends are talking in the classroom; Asha confides in her best friend Anita who then faces a difficult dilemma

Resources for secondary and primary education are offered so that educators and youth can together integrate these and other videos into classroom learning. For example, "Dilemma" is an interactive, media-based resource aimed at opening discussion around FGM in secondary schools. Using a short film in three parts (see above), young people and teachers are encouraged to look at the challenges faced by girls around FGM and the potential pitfalls and barriers in the reporting and safeguarding chain. By asking carefully phrased questions, the workshop leader can encourage young people and/or teachers to consider the conflicts around asking for help and support with different areas of violence against women and girls. There is a tendency amongst young people to feel that if they speak to an adult about any safety concerns they have about a friend, they are "snitching". This resource allows young people to explore the ethics and implications of keeping such information to yourself; it also encourages them to empathise with girls who are facing such a predicament. Teachers and others responsible for child protection are encouraged to consider their own reticence regarding safeguarding children and young women from harmful, cultural practices. This resource was developed by young people and has been used in many school settings.

Click here to view a summary of a related Integrate Bristol video, Use Your Head - Integrate Bristol (Official Music Video) - Dance to End Gender Violence.