With less than one week to go until the finalist’s event, Becky Nancarrow, Senior Education Projects Officer at Childnet, takes a closer look at the history of the Childnet Film Competition.
At Childnet, we’re all about placing young people at the heart of what we do, and the Childnet Film Competition is a perfect example of this
The competition was set up in 2010 as a practical, inclusive learning project, where all young people across the UK are invited to make short films about positive use of the internet. By taking part young people not only learn key online safety messages, but they also become the educator by creating content to help other young people to stay safe online.
Over the last 15 years, the competition has provided the perfect platform for young people’s voices to be heard through the medium of film. Thousands of young people have taken part from mainstream, independent, Hospital Schools, PRU’s and SEND schools, which truly reflects the inclusive nature of the project.
It’s a firm fixture on the Childnet calendar and the finalist’s awards celebration is, without doubt, one of the highlights of the year.
I’ve had the privilege of being part of this project from the very start and seen first hand how special this competition is and what it brings to the young people who take part.
How it all began
The Childnet team continually strive to find new ways to help make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people. Back in 2010, we wanted to explore different ways to amplify young people’s voices and since many young people like watching and making films, it seemed natural to pilot a project, which could harness creative learning and empower those who participated.
We launched the competition with two age categories, primary (7-11) and secondary (11-18) and set a different theme for each group, receiving a humble 34 entries that first year.
We invited the finalists to an awards event in London, where together we watched their films on a cinema screen, heard what they wanted to say about online safety, and celebrated the young people who had taken part. The positive feedback from both the chaperoning educators and young people alike confirmed that the project was something to carry forward to the following year.
Why is it different to other competitions?
The Childnet Film Competition is all about the young people who take part. We want to hear what they have to say and providing a platform for this is paramount to the ethos of the competition. The finalist’s event is completely youth focussed, where our young attendees are given the spotlight and opportunity to speak to industry guests and share their thoughts and feelings about the internet and online safety. It’s not about creating polished films but about making films with a strong, clear and authentic message.
The project lives beyond the event, where the films are showcased on our and other’s platforms, as well as being shared within their own school community. The sense of pride from the finalists is truly memorable and many have gone on to study film as a career destination.
“I gained the approval that my work is decent from the Childnet Film Competition, and I decided to take it further,” former Childnet Film Competition winner
It’s a joy to watch every entry into the competition and we’re always inspired by the commitment and creativity from those who have taken part. Getting to meet everyone at the finalist’s event is a wonderful culmination to the project, and hearing how the schools or youth groups benefit from the prizes drives us to bring the Childnet Film Competition to schools or youth groups across the UK year on year.
To find out more, head to our website The Childnet Film Competition 2024 | Childnet
