Drink Aware

Key Partners

Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership
South Edinburgh Partnership
Lothian and Borders Police South Edinburgh Youth Action Team
Art South Edinburgh
Gracemount High School
Gilmerton High School
Local retailers

Audience

Young people aged 14-15, were drawn from two schools on Edinburgh’s south side, who were at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and may have been known to the police for involvement in alcohol related incidents.

Process/activity

This project involved the target group with experience of art, drama and media work including conceiving and painting six 6x4ft mural panels, devising and making posters, postcards, photographs and producing a cutting edge docudrama to explore the issues surrounding underage drinking.

Context

Underage drinking and resulting antisocial behaviour was identified as a significant problem within the communities of the south side of Edinburgh. To tackle these issues a community initiative was undertaken to work directly with young people, encouraging and supporting local retailers not to sell alcohol to under 18’s, and encouraging adults not to buy alcohol on behalf of under-age drinkers.

Aim

The project aimed to engender a sense of value and inclusion in areas where traditionally the schoolchildren felt they make no worthwhile or positive contribution and had a poor or even negative community profile. A core aim of this initiative was to provide an opportunity for the group to work in an integrated spectrum of participating bodies allowing students to interact with artists, film producers, actors and arts facilitators. In working within this arena it was hoped to encourage a sense of self-worth and self-confidence with a more positive community-based outlook.

Objectives

The primary objective of this undertaking was to tackle the issue of underage drinking in the broadest sense by working directly with young people. Central to the project was to provide an opportunity for young people to work as a team and explore the theme of underage drinking and, using their own voice, to express their needs and the perceived social shortcomings of their community. By providing an opportunity to experience success and achievement in a wider context - through access to visual arts, drama and media work – a further objective was to raise the community profile of these young people and allow them the opportunity to raise self esteem and be seen in a more positive light. By making these young people more aware of the positive and rewarding social contribution they are able make it was hoped they might play a more constructive role in the community.

Outcome

The venture provided the participating young people with a new skill set, allowing better communications through partnership working. The production of a tangible and lasting end product in the form of six large 6ft x 4ft mural panels and a cutting edge docudrama, in addition to photographs, posters and postcards were seen as a measure of the groups’ achievement. In addition these resources were available to schools for further work on this issue, thus broadening the project impact and increasing the participants sense of achievement. Community wide awareness of the project has brought its own rewards, and importantly the students’ contribution and achievements were broadcast, with the poster campaign, postcard distribution and the mural on public display in the City Arts Centre and in school for students and parents to see. Further coverage in "The South Edinburgh Echo", and Radio Forth FM brought a wider meaning and dimension to the project. The official launch with an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament took the project from a local arena to a national one.