Eco Challange Xtra

Encouraging young people to go green this summer:

New opportunity with residential adventures, training and improving the environment (and it doesn't need to involve a spade!)

Eco Challenge Xtra a new opportunity for 16 years olds this summer has been launched by environmental education charity Field Studies Council and Manchester Youth Volunteering Project (MYVP). The two organisations are working together to provide opportunities for up 168 young people in Manchester and Salford during the summer holidays as part of the National Citizen Service programme (NCS).

Over the 3 weeks of Eco Challenge Xtra each young person will learn more about themself, others and the environment. At the end of it they will have stories to tell, experiences to share and new skills which will look good on their CV. It will help with their future including applications to college, university, jobs or other training.

As part of the project you'll get to decide what you want to do about the environment, be it a short film on recycling, an environmental arts project or actually picking up a spade and planting some veg.

You can find out more about the opportunity and register online at the Eco Challenge Xtra website www.eco-challenge-xtra.org

or phone 01743 852104 (FSC) or 0161 236 334 (MYVP)

Biggafish Music and Media Street Team Programme

Biggafish are hold their fantastic Street Team Leadership Programme this Sunday 15th May @ Zion Arts Centre.
If you are 14 - 21 years of age and are interested in the music and media industry then this is the place for you!

To book a FREE PLACE contact Biggafish 020 7729 9944 or email info@biggafish.com

Are you a budding filmmaker? Do you think you have Spielberg/Tarantino/Michael Moore like potential?

Are you: Aged 14-19 years? Creative? Committed?

Contact sasha@myvp.org.uk

Are you ready to get into Uncommon Shorts?
Are you a budding filmmaker? Do you think you have Spielberg/Tarantino/Michael Moore like potential? Well, 'Uncommon Shorts' – a project run by MYVP could be for you! MYVP, working with our partners Littlestar Media Productions and Cornerhouse, will be creating a series of three new short films made by young people in Manchester, funded through FirstLight Movies and the Lottery National Film Fund. We are looking for committed young people aged 14-19 who would like to volunteer to be part of a dynamic film crew. The film that you create will give you the chance to put your creative hat on and really use your imagination, and to top it all you'll be able to get your voice heard on issues that you're interested in! You'll also receive training to take you from initial idea, through script, storyboard, direction, video production, editing and sound track to your completed film. And if that wasn't enough, you'll also be entering your final film into a variety of film festivals across the UK and abroad and it will also be shown as part of an MYVP film celebration event in central Manchester in April!

So what are we looking for?

In order to be considered for this opportunity you need to be:

• Aged between 14-19
• Living in Manchester
• Prepared to have a high level of commitment: we'll need you to be
• available over the Easter holidays (29th March – 11th April) for the filming
• and editing. The project will also have production planning workshops
• during some evenings and weekends beforehand
• Able to work in a team
• Able to think creatively.

PLUS are you a budding writer or film critic? A blogger or a photo- journalist in waiting?
Then the 'Uncommon Shorts' project also has fantastic opportunities for you to show off your journalistic, creative writing skills, photography and blogging skills. You will have "access all areas" passes so that you can follow the film production; interview the crew, the writers and the stars of our new film project.

How do you apply?
Film Crew Opportunity
If you are interested in applying to be a member of the film crew all you need to do is complete a short online application form that can be found using the following link:
Crew application

Film Journalist/Blogger Opportunity

If you are interested in applying to be a film journalist/blogger just complete a short online application form that can be found using the following link:
Journalist Application

When you finish completing either form online, just click the 'Done' button and your application will be winging its way to us in no time!
If you have trouble with these links or you'd prefer to have either of the applications posted out to you, contact Sasha at sasha@myvp.org.uk or call her on 0161 236 3334.

Make sure your application gets to us by Monday 15th February!

Then what happens?

As there are a limited number of places for this opportunity, we'll be interviewing film project candidates. We want to make sure that we select people that are passionate about the project and are dedicated to working on it and seeing it through to the end. If you have always wanted to make a film about an issue you are passionate about and would like to work with professionals and other young people and gain exciting new skills, we would love to hear from you!

So…APPLY NOW!!!

it's time to apply for uncommon shorts.....

uncommon shorts 2

Are you a budding filmmaker? Do you think you have Speilberg/Tarantino/Scorsese/Michael Moore like potential? Well, ‘Uncommon Shorts’ – a new project run by MYVP could be for you!

MYVP, working with our partners Littlestar Media Productions and Cornerhouse, will be creating film number two of a series of three new short films made by young people in Manchester, funded through FirstLight Movies and the Lottery National Film Fund.


We are looking for committed young people aged 14-19 who would like to volunteer to be part of a dynamic film crew.

The film that you create will give you the chance to put your creative hat on and really use your imagination, and to top it all you’ll be able to get your voice heard on issues that you’re interested in!

You’ll also receive training to take you from initial idea, through script, storyboard, direction, video production, editing and sound track to your completed film.

And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be entering your final film into a variety of film festivals across the UK and abroad, and it will also be shown as part of an MYVP celebration event in central Manchester in April!

So what are we looking for?
In order to be considered for this opportunity you need to be:

• Aged between 14-19
• Living in Manchester.
• Prepared to have a high level of commitment: we’ll need you to be available over the October half term (26th October to 1st November) for the filming. The project will also have some production planning and editing workshops during some evenings and weekends
• Able to work in a team.
• Able to think creatively

PLUS are you a budding writer or film critic? a blogger or a Photo-journalist in waiting?
Then the ‘Uncommon Shorts’ project also has fantastic opportunities for you to show off your journalistic, creative writing skills, photography and blogging skills. You will have "access all areas" passes so that you can follow the film production, interview the crew, the writers and the stars of our new film project.

How do you apply?
If you are interested, contact Lance for a film crew application form at lance@myvp.org.uk or call him on 0161 236 3334 for more details. Make sure your application gets to us by Friday 9th October at 5pm!
For the film reporter/blogger opportunity ring or email for chat or for further details.

Then what happens?
As there are a limited number of places for this opportunity, we’ll be interviewing film project candidates. We want to make sure that we select people that are passionate about the project and are dedicated to working on it and seeing it through to the end.

If you have always wanted to make a film about an issue you are passionate about and would like to work with professionals and other young people and gain exciting new skills, we would love to hear from you!
So, APPLY NOW!!!!

Work Continues at the Ardwick plot and... "Meanwhile in Manchester"

Young people have been busy improving the green spaces at Ardwick Youth Centre. Some raised beds have been built and a covered seating area has almost been completed. We were very lucky to have several weeks of sunny weather whilst we were working on this. We have also been busy working on "Uncommon Shorts" a project seeking to raise environmental awareness through visual media.

For more pictures and info see our facebook group.

Meanwhile in Manchester: In the run up to key climate talks in Copenhagen this December, people are beginning to take environmental action all over Britain and the world. The 10:10 campaign has been launched to try and encourage people to reduce their emissions by ten percent in the next ten years. There are many ways to reduce your emissions, from cycling to work, changing your lightbulbs to getting involved in local gardening projects. However, if we are to move towards a more sustainable world we all will need to make changes, groups such as the climate camp and Manchester climate action are active in Manchester trying to spread the word about environmental issues and how we can collectively take action.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE HOUSE OF LORDS !!!!!!

We found the house of lords an interesting opportunity, to hear the views from the youths of the united kingdom. The issues debated were something that we go through everyday. There were three issues debated, celebrity, the youth in the media and the culture of mistrust that surrounds the young of great Britain. The overall agreement in the debate was that the youths were badly represented in the media. Almost everybody got the opportunity to speak, I myself (David) raised the issue how the media represents young people during and after exams i.e. when students get good grades the media claims that exams are getting easier.

It was an amazing experience and we would encourage volunteers out there, if presented with this opportunity to go for it.