Our Breaking Out program made strides in addressing youth behaviour through creative engagement in Herefordshire schools. A youth participation project, Herefordshire High-Schoolers created impactful social media content and powerful short clips about positive masculinity, healthy behaviours, personal safety and productive role modelling. 

The project - developed with insight and input from national experts, policies, local authorities and, crucially, rural young people - was co-funded by Herefordshire Council and West Mercia Police as it ultimately seeks to reduce exploitation and vulnerability, violence against women and girls (VAWG); peer-on-peer abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, direct and indirect) in schools and domestic abuse by empowering and up skilling young people to recognise and safely tackle misogynistic attitudes and harmful behaviours online and in real life before they enter young adulthood.

Over a 12 month period, we worked with 20 boys aged 12-15 at Fairfield High School and The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, to employ digital content creation to explore themes of gender stereotypes and safety, role models, friendship and behaviour, with participants producing films and audio content designed to counter negative social media messaging.