The Chatterboxes

The ChatterboxesYMCA Bournemouth’s Chatterbox Project has had the pleasure of being involved with Gary who has been able to share his skills, knowledge and film expertise with our young members. Over several years Gary has delivered film based workshops where he has trained young members on storyboarding, different camera techniques, setting the scene etc. Gary always inspires young people to look at how film can really benefit their lives.

In recent years Gary worked closely with ourselves and Bournemouth University’s Media School who trained young disabled people aged 13-19 years old to become citizen journalists. When working with young people Gary will spend the time guiding them through the process at a speed which suits them; explaining everything in a easy to understand format and linking training to the young people’s skills and interests.

Gary is very professional and will redesign his agenda to meet the needs of young people. This flexible approach is really important when working with young people and enabled all young people to feel part of the project.

Gary has such a great ability to make people feel at ease in his presence and individuals always feel comfortable to share any concerns or worries they have, knowing that he will not judge them. This was shown when he delivered filmmaking workshops to young people. In the workshops the group made films about living with Autism and falling in Love. Gary brought a sense of humour to the workshops whilst educating young people about filmmaking techniques in a non-formal manner. Throughout the workshops, young people were full of laughter and smiles because of Gary’s ability to train young people in a fun and inspiring manner.

Last year we were involved in a consultation about transition services for young disabled people. Instead of using a written format to report young people’s views about services, Gary was able to film young people’s opinions and really gain a much deeper understanding of the challenges an individual faces through transitions. When gathering the opinions of young people; it is vital to have an individual who can really put people at ease so they feel comfortable sharing personal stories. Gary has those skills; a really important quality.

In essence, if you are looking for a professional film maker who has the ability to draw information from individuals in a relaxed manner, create films which are fun and relevant or someone who delivers hugely effective film making workshops; then Gary is your man.

Poppy Sargeaunt
Chatterbox Coordinator,