Trip to island of beauty, vice and danger
WE want to see the real Jamaica, not the resorts tourists go to.”So said John Young, a 17-year-old film maker visiting the tropical island in July with eight other members of the Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans (BATH).
The group of 14-19-year-olds will make a documentary about life in Jamaica, and how it compares with growing up in the UK, and hope to air it in schools and the community. While the members are staying in Montego Bay, a resort city in the North-West of the island, it is Kingston many of the youngsters want to experience.
The fact that seven adult leaders are going to supervise the intrepid documenters (almost one per youth) is a clear indicator that they may be entering dangerous areas. Group leader Debbie Connell said: “Some of the areas we will be visiting could be a bit dangerous so we need one-to-one supervision. This is going to be a very exciting trip and will give these youngsters a completely new experience. We will be meeting up with a local youth group out there who will look after us and stop us from doing or saying anything we shouldn’t.”
It will not be the first time members of BATH could be confronted with gun wielding gangs and drug-dealing children, as in 2004 they visited the Favellas of Rio de Janeiro.
The sprawling slums spread up the Brazilian bank gained worldwide notoriety in City of God, a gritty real-to-life drama about growing up surrounded by violence and desperation, and the follow up TV series City Of Men, which saw two young boys battling through a life of drugs, guns and poverty beneath the baking samba sun.
Group leader Danny Wales went to Rio and saw for himself the deprivation and squalor found in the Favellas, but also witnessed the humanity that lived there. The 22-year-old said: “People talk about gangs of youths and crime in this country, but is a total extreme in the Favellas. Drugs is their money there, and they have to fight just to stay alive.”
Hard-hitting subjects are not new to BATH, who have previously been commissioned to present performances about domestic violence, the Rwandan conflict, teen pregnancy and the holocaust.
The group was formed in 1995 by Stephen Elliott, and it operates from King James I Community Arts College in Bishop Auckland. Stephen said: “We are challenged to explore our local history and culture as well as that of other parts of the world. There is a lot of laughter at BATH and we want that to continue. Most of all, the members feel that they belong to something good and something that makes a difference.”
The group is self-funded and raise money through their commissions. Its July trip to Jamaica will cost £21,000, but it has received moral support from some very high places. On June 27, the nine teens and seven leaders have been invited to the Jamaican Embassy in London where they can ask the Jamaican High Commissioner His Excellency the Honourable Burchell Whiteman O.J. High Commissioner to the UK about life in his homeland.
John said: “It was completely unexpected and it really is quite an honour for us. I think the biggest thing we want to know is what we should expect. We’ve heard all sorts of stories of guns and drugs and I guess we want to know if all or any of it is true.”
The youngsters will be able to sample food and meet Jamaican citizens, and will invite the ambassador to Bishop Auckland to see an exhibition of their work from Jamaica.
Each of the nine film-makers has a particular project to work on, and all the footage will be compiled into one film which revolves around 16 year-old Shane Taylor whose family roots lie both in Jamaica and Bishop Auckland. Sarah Newton will be filming his journey.
Sarah, 17, said: “I’ll be Shane’s support on the trip and I will film his experiences. I’m really looking forward to seeing just how different life is in Jamaica, and I am really excited about going. “All of the films will feed into Shane’s story, and we should have a good overview of what it would have been like for Shane if he had grown up in Jamaica rather than Bishop Auckland.” With more than 150 members, competition for places on the trip was fierce. Each of the travellers had to write a letter and pass an interview detailing what they wanted to see and do.
Debbie said: “We wanted their ideas, and it is really up to them to decide what they want to do and see, so we asked each of them to tell us exactly what they hoped to gain from the trip.”
Kyle Murgatroyd, 16, will be investigating domestic violence and how it is dealt with in Jamaica, and has already visited the Bishop Auckland refuge to gain the English perspective. He will be supported by Rachel Green who is Durham County Council’s domestic violence co-ordinator.
Fourteen year-old Keegan Dixon and Simon Sweeney, 19, will look at the aims and expectations of their respective age groups in Jamaica, while Yasmine Jabari, 17, will compare the role’s of women in Jamaican society and the UK. John will focus his attention on arts provisions in schools and local communities, specifically drama art and music.
Artist in residence Sean Nicholson will celebrate his 18th birthday in Jamaica, but will remained focussed on capturing the visit on film canvas and paper to make up the exhibition to be held on their return. The responsibility for the trip ultimately rests with 17-year-old project co-ordinator Sarah Deighton, who will organise and support the team in Jamaica.
The team has also held assemblies at King James I College to find out exactly what the youngsters of Bishop Auckland want to know about Jamaica. Keegan Dixon said: “We have a lot of questions of our own, but we want to make sure that we tell the story people want to hear. “We have to know what it is about Jamaica that is of most interest, and we want our project to reflect the questions Bishop Auckland is asking.”
Debbie said: “The documentary will show that there is a wider world out there, that our values and expectations can be the same as those of people around the world and to compare our attitudes, tolerances and ideals with those of other communities and cultures.”
For more information on Bath, call Stephen Elliott on 07747626514 or Debbie Connell 07811455515.Alternatively, contact King James I College in 01388 603388.
