A photo exhibition at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, aims to show the SEND community in a different light.

Shropshire Star

A new photo exhibition at Theatre Severn aims to show members of the SEND Community in a different light. Photos taken at many of the events they have come together for shows a group of young people living life to the max and having fun.

Transcript

00:00So we're here at Theatre 7 and a rather special photo exhibition.

00:04Introduce yourself madam.

00:05Okay, my name's Sarah Thomas and I work and are a founder member of PAK,

00:11who is the Parent Carer Council for Shropshire.

00:14So what's PAK all about then?

00:16So PAK is about working with SEND families in Shropshire,

00:20with young people aged 0-25,

00:23to enable them to have their voices heard

00:27and to influence the decisions that affect them,

00:30to be really well informed

00:32and to be able to make positive decisions about their young people's future

00:36and also to come together as a community,

00:39to support each other and to have some fun.

00:42But coming together as a community is what you do in the summer,

00:45you have lots of kind of events going on.

00:47We do.

00:47And someone was there to catch these moments,

00:51we have a camera on the last batch of events

00:54and that's where we get this exhibition from, yeah?

00:56It is, yeah.

00:57This exhibition are all photographs that were taken during our Healthy Lives programme,

01:01that runs over the school holiday programmes.

01:04Last year it was just the summer,

01:05this year it's expanding to all holiday periods

01:08and it's a programme of activities for families,

01:11for young people aged 14-25

01:14and for those with the most complex needs,

01:16a whole different range of activities

01:18where they can try new things,

01:20be active in their community,

01:22build friendships, build confidence

01:24and really just have a lot of fun,

01:26like other young people do.

01:28Is this, normally when we hear SEND,

01:30it's in the context of schools or funding etc,

01:34so is this about just kind of showing it in a different,

01:37in it's more human form really,

01:39that you know, it's just people,

01:40it's just young people having fun and having a laugh.

01:42Yeah, all our young people with SEND,

01:44you know, tell us time and time again

01:46that they just want the same opportunities as any other young people,

01:49as their peers without SEND

01:51and often, you know, for many reasons

01:55they don't get those opportunities,

01:57so this is about trying to say,

01:59look, these are just young people,

02:01they need the same support,

02:02they need the same opportunities

02:04and look what can they achieve if we enable that.

02:07And it's up on floor 3 at Theatre 7 here in Shrewsbury,

02:10how long's it on for?

02:12Until the 28th of April

02:14and then after that we're touring around the county

02:17and we're at Whitchurch next,

02:19so watch out for us there.

02:20Great stuff, well thank you

02:21and well done on a great project.

02:23Thank you very much.

02:24So Ellie, you're one of the models

02:26that feature in this exhibition.

02:28Where are you?

02:29I think I can see a face on there I recognise.

02:31I'm actually here with a friend called Melissa.

02:35You're laughing your head off there,

02:36can you remember what you were laughing at?

02:38I don't remember,

02:39but I was laughing at someone.

02:43Yeah, well you obviously have a good time

02:45when you get together, don't you?

02:46Yeah, we get really well together.

02:48Yeah, yeah.

02:49And what was it like to come in here

02:50and see you as part of an exhibition on the wall?

02:53I was happy at first to see it

02:56and then I saw it outside of work as well.

02:59Yeah, yeah, it's cool.

03:00So are you going to bring your friends up here

03:02to come and have a look at it?

03:03I will do with my sister.

03:04Cool, nice one.

03:05And you've got a dash in a minute, haven't you?

03:07You're working in a bit, aren't you?

03:09Yes.

03:10At the cafe?

03:11Yes.

03:12Cool, well so you're a model

03:14and a full-time waitress as well?

03:16Yes.

03:17And a zookeeper?

03:18And a zookeeper.

03:19Wow, busy girl.

03:20And a garden keeper.

03:21Yeah, busy girl Ellie, busy girl.

03:24Hello Jess, how are you?

03:26I'm good, thank you.

03:27Now I recognise your face because

03:29da-da-da-da-da-da, there you are.

03:32And you're here with your mum?

03:33Yeah, yeah.

03:34What's it like to come in and see your face

03:37as part of an exhibition on a wall?

03:39I think it's really important and exciting.

03:42I think it's good that the SEND community

03:44is being brought to the forefront of the community

03:47and I feel very proud to be part of it.

03:51And what were you doing on that day?

03:53This day I was on the Sabrina boat

03:55for a celebration evening

03:57and this was a really important day for me

04:00because I really made some key friends that day.

04:03So I really, that was probably

04:06a significant changing point for me

04:08where I really...

04:11That's good.

04:12How was it on Sabrina boat?

04:13It's lovely isn't it on there?

04:14Yeah, it was really good.

04:15I spent a good time with some of my friends

04:18from the SEND community.

04:20You must be proud, mum, coming in and seeing her

04:22as part of this exhibition, yeah?

04:24I'm proud, yeah.

04:25Because all these make such a difference

04:27to a costumer.

04:28Yeah, yeah.

04:30Great stuff.

04:31Well you'll have to amend your CV when you get home

04:33and add fashion model to it.

04:35Thank you ladies.

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