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‘What Makes You Unique?’ A Film About Autism And Volunteering
Meet Nathan, a young person with autism who has been volunteering at his local church group for the last three years.
We all have something that makes us unique.
We all have something that makes us unique. Whether it’s a hidden talent, a hobby nobody knows about. Whatever it is, it’s always good to celebrate it. So over the course of 12 weeks, Rife Magazine worked alongside a group of young people from The Listening Partnership to create a short documentary film talking about what makes us unique.
Meet Nathan, a young person with autism, who has been volunteering at his local church group for the past three years. He helps run activities, serve meals and talks to members of the group. During the film, you discover some of the incredible work he’s involved in, and you see him engage and facilitate group sessions.
We worked closely with an engaged team of 15 young people who took key roles in set design, writing, and organisation on set. The sessions were initially spent scriptwriting, and the group interviewed each other on what makes them unique.
Through producing this film we learnt the importance of volunteering, and how it’s so key for building skills and confidence in all aspects of life, particularly as a young person. Volunteering has provided Nathan with a sense of belonging to community, and knowing that he’s really made a difference, so it’s definitely worth getting involved in.
We asked Nathan a few questions about his experience:
How was did you find the experience overall?
A bit hard, party because I’ve never been filmed doing it before. But fun at the same time, I’ve worked with film before but this area was new.
What did you enjoy the most?
My favourite bit was getting filmed by Sam, and having myself recorded on sound recorder. It was fun working with Sam, he’s never seen where I work before. It was nice having him there.
Rife team Jasmine and Roseanna worked alongside 8th Sense Media, who produced and edited the film. 8th Sense Media is a creative media production company located in Bristol that create visual content and short films, with the intention of giving a voice to unheard voices. You can also access their training workshops that cover everything from planning, filming, and editing. WECIL is a Bristol-based organisation that grew out of a need for disabled people to manage and run their own services. They work closely with people with physical impairments, mental health disorders and learning difficulties. The Listening Partnership is a part of this organisation.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with a variety of groups and activities going on in Bristol, not just over the summer, but all year round.
Check out the jobs and opportunities page on Rife Guide for info on volunteering
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About the author
Jasmine Thompson
Hey my name’s Jazz, and I’m a Bristol based artist who recently graduated in Illustration. I began as a portrait artist but have expanded into areas such as reportage illustration, zine making, and creating caricatures. I’m inspired by living in an urban environment and the people around me, and thrive off meeting others with brilliant ideas. My most recent work has focussed on 'Race & integration: A study of culture'. I am passionate about exploring segregation within UK cities (and factors such as religion and language) cultural appropriation and identity issues. Look forward to seeing some content on this in Rife. I love making comics, and am always looking for new ways to create funny spins on day to day life. I hope to make videos, films, memes, and most importantly push my writing skills. Some seem to think I have an addicted to buying trainers, but in my opinion it’s definitely more of a ‘healthy interest’. Throw some curly hair care tips my way and you’ll be my best friend forever.
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