The Western Education and Library Board’s (WELB) Omagh Youth Centre celebrated its 30th anniversary this month with a host of activities and events which took place over a week in January. Part of the celebrations featured a ‘Movie Premier Night’ with a screening of several short films made by the young people at the Centre.
In preparation for this special event, Community Arts Partnership provided a series of workshops on film production as part of the ‘This Is Me Project’ where a group of 12 young people from the centre worked with local film producer and CAP facilitator Cyril Kelly to produce several short films. The Omagh Youth Group produced a storyboard and captured a number of short films which they cut on the video editing software ‘Final Cut Pro’.
The workshop programme culminated in the group scripting a short atmospheric horror film, The Death Note! which they filmed using professional sound and lighting equipment. The group showcased their engaging films to friends and family to coincide with the Youth Centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
WELB Leader-in-Charge, Marian Rodgers said:
It was a new and exciting experience for the group which they really valued having had the opportunity to act, produce and edit. They have asked for the opportunity to do it all again.
Director of Community Arts Partnership, Conor Shields said:
This project is an excellent example of how Community Arts Partnership aims to assist local community groups get creative. It shows that given the chance, the right support and the commitment to succeed, our young people can realise new skills and see new futures. Well done to all who took part.
Omagh Youth Centre is a full-time centre catering for young people aged between 6 – 25 years from Omagh and the surrounding area. The centre is a neutral venue for all young people which provides numerous programmes including Youth Exchanges; Cross Border Programmes; Training Courses; Peer Leadership; Young Adult Development, etc, plus it offers programmes to local post primary schools in the Omagh area.
Community Arts Partnership is supported by its principal funder, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and with additional support from Belfast City Council, Tourism, Culture and Arts Unit.
