Safer Streets
Recently I had the task of undertaking a the visual media production for a home office funded project named ‘safer streets’.
The initiative was there to to align with work mitigating violence towrds women and girls (vawg) and also to help provide support, education and resources for individuals using Canterbury’s ‘Night-Time economy’ (NTE).
The project
The project as a whole was there to combat violence against women and girls, while also adapting and creating new resources such as apps, websites, printed media and training, all of which needed a full image library being created from scratch.
The project and study was there to identify shortfalls in the NTE and review how, not only the general public, but also how the workers of the NTE could be better supported and trained to deal with any situations that could appear during a shift.
I was brought on from day 1 to spearhead the development of image production, strategising and building a plan with the key members or the project.
Planning took a good while before shooting even began and sitting with clients to develop a campaign like this from the ground up is how I love to operate.
What is Violence towards women and Girls (VAWG)?
“Violence against women and girls (VAWG) encompasses a broad range of behaviours and
practices that disproportionally impact women and girls, including, but not limited to,
harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour, domestic abuse, stalking, sexual assault,
sexual violence, sexual exploitation, revenge porn, honour-based abuse, female genital
mutilation, forced marriages and murder.”
My Role
As I mentioned, my job was to work alongside the study and development of new practices, and create an image library for the team to use for anything that they needed it for. With a new website, ADVERTISEMENTS and an app in the works, the was a large amount of work to be done for this project to be complete.
Alongside the creation of a purpose built library of images, there was also 2 videos that needed to be made.
1 was for the team to put out and use broadly to educate students and young people of the resources available should they feel unsafe or see anything that needs reporting.
and 2 was a video specifically designed to work alongside a new training course for workers of the NTE, so they that they could better understand and be educated towards their role within mitigation and how best the can.
The App
The app was already in place before I started this project, however one of the objectives of what we were doing, was to advertise it as much as possible and esure that students and young people knew that the app was there for them to use, particularly during night time activities such as clubbing.
for me, this meant that I had to create a series of images of people using their phones so they could later be use in print and online advertising for the app.
We worked with clubs, bars during the evening and street settings throughout the day to gather valuable assets for the team. This proactive approach enabled us to effectively target various demographics and enhance the app's functionality.
Image example can be seen below.
Student Video
Alongside the important task of populating a comprehensive library of high-quality images specifically designed for the use of advertising the initiative and its various services, I was also entrusted with the creation of an engaging video for the universities of Canterbury, which they could share with their students to effectively communicate their message and goals.
The video consisted of having local students discuss the services available, in different areas and venues throughout the city.
Planning for this was a challenge. The director of the video and myself took to getting permissions for locations, making scripts and running the with the actors and even NEGOTIATING with canterbury cathedral to have them keep their lights on later than planned. As we shot the campaign in the summer, by the time the sun set, the timer for the cathedral lights would have activated prior to it getting dark.
The Website
The website serves as a central platform where the team meticulously gathered all of the essential resources related to the campaign into a single, easily accessible hub. This destination is designed specifically for the universities and support staff involved in Canterbury’s vibrant night-time economy, enabling them to effectively share information and resources. It has become a valuable space for individuals to find the answers and support they need, all conveniently located in one dedicated place.
While a significant number of images were taken for this project, the majority of the final imagery selected for the website predominantly focused on the captivating images associated with the app side of the campaign.
Final Thoughts
All together, this was a huge campaign that spanned many months, weeks of planning, many different locations and it was truly a great experience to work on this project.
Planning and undertaking projects of this size isn’t something that comes my way very often, but when it does, it is a dream. So much planning, discussions and truly getting to the route of what the clients is expecting so my company can work more efficiently in realising their vision.
I look forward to the next time I get to work on a campaign of this scale!
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With thanks to everyone who worked towards this campaign:Best BAr noneCanterbury BIDCanterbury Christ Church UniversityCanterbury City CouncilChrist Church Students UnionEast Kent Rape Crisis CentreKent PoliceKent Police & Crime CommissionerRising SunStreet PAstorsUniversity of KentPurple FlagCommunity Saftey PArtnershipAs funded by Home office