We powered the film and media heartbeat of LOUD AND LOCAL. We listened first, then met people where life happens—at markets, bus stops, school gates, community events, and youth centres. With compact rigs, mobile phones, and open conversations, we turned everyday moments into powerful stories.

What we did

• Storyfinding on the street: Our youth street-interviewer team sparked honest, unfiltered chats with residents of all ages.

• Youth-led production: We trained young people in filming, sound, and interviewing, then brought them into the edit—so the film sounds like the borough because it was made by the borough.

• Creative workshops & co-editing: Community screenings and edit sessions shaped the narrative, theme by theme.

• Digital Story Map: We built a geo-tagged map of clips and sound bites so voices live on, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

• Post-production & launch: We crafted a 10–15 minute short documentary and premiered it with partners and residents, celebrating the stories that rarely make the headline.

How we worked

• Trust at the centre: Peer-led outreach, clear consent, and dignity in every frame.

• Agile and present: Light on kit, big on presence—ready to capture lightning-in-a-bottle moments.

• In partnership: Collaborating with Write Back and Green Shoes Arts to weave spoken word, street interviews, and visual storytelling into a single, living portrait of Barking & Dagenham.

Why it mattered

• Quieter voices got heard—and seen.

• Real experiences informed local strategies and conversations.

• The borough gained a lasting film and a living archive residents can point to and say, “That’s us.”

Watch the film [add link] • Explore the Story Map [add link] • Read the themes report [add link]

Made with the people of Barking & Dagenham. Led by Youth Unity CIC.