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.
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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.