Young people urge their peers to stay away from drugs and booze

Young people in Derry are urging their peers to stay away from drugs and alcohol. A billboard art piece with a strong message to teenagers has been created by participants of The Playhouse’s Street Talk Youth Art Project. A group of young people from Ballymagoarty and Hazelbank Community Partnership worked with Playhouse artist John Deery who enabled the gang to highlight issues that concerned them. These issues included mental health, bullying, tensions with the PSNI, anti-social behaviour and drugs and alcohol. During a series of workshops the group created images and slogans from which they created their striking billboard design. Collectively the young people developed a powerful strap line ‘Drugs and Alcohol can lead to violence. Don’t Start’. The results of their work can be seen on two billboards, one at the Whitehouse area on the Buncrana Road, and the other at Derry’s railway station. Elaine Forde, from the Street Talk project, said the project had many benefits for the young people that took part. “Young people use the arts to discuss issues that affect them in their everyday life and communities. “This gives them chance to talk about, and break down community relations issues felt by both communities with the aim of creating friendships. “The next project for these young artists is to start a photographic project during which they will document their community and life. “They will do this at the same time as a group of young people from Tullyally. The two groups will meet for the first time during an exhibition of each groups work and help use photography and film to explore their shared world.” The Street Talk Project is funded by BBC Children in Need and the Department of Foreign Affairs and the billboard project has been part funded by Policing Community Safety partnership.