Phil Redmond showcases latest short film, ‘How we Live’ with help from Winsford school pupils

‘How we Live’ premiered last night at Winsford Academy, which is an adaptation from a script, developed by Winsford school pupils.

Over the past 18 months, the West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission (WCPTC) has worked with a group of young inspirers from Winsford Academy and Wharton Primary School, helping to strengthen the voice of young people and allow them to influence change.

The school pupils have been involved in workshops and discussion groups to highlight the impact of child poverty in today’s society, sharing their own experiences and the effects on the whole family. The young inspirers performed this piece of theatre, ‘How We Live’ at the launch ceremony of the second WCPTC in January 2019 at Storyhouse.  The insightful piece of drama received interest from industry professionals, with TV Producer and screenwriter, Phil Redmond, CBE offering support to create a short film, based on the original script.

Open auditions for the cast were held locally in October 2019. The film is based on the knowledge and experiences of young people in Cheshire West and Chester.  A fictional character has been created to highlight the daily struggles, faced by a family living in poverty.

Councillor Bob Cernik, cabinet member for Children and Families adds “This is a great piece of work, originating from Winsford school pupils and the West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission. They should be really proud of themselves as they are succeeding in tackling poverty and getting their message out there to raise awareness of child poverty in today’s society.

“The impact of poverty on children can create long-lasting effects on a child’s health, development and academic achievements. The government’s own paper "Households below average income”¹ shows that since austerity was rolled out ten years ago, the start of the decade, half a million more children in this country are living in poverty.

“We all need to play our part in tackling the increasing child poverty in our local communities. The West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission has been working with local organisations, civic leaders and businesses to help develop solutions and improve lives for those residents living in poverty.”

TV Producer and Screenwriter, Phil Redmond, CBE adds “Drama is the perfect way to address social issues, even if, sometimes, highlighting difficult problems causes us all to stop and think. Why are things like this? What can we do to help? What can we do to affect change? This short film addresses those questions and hopefully will help stimulate or continue the debate around them.”

Sponsors at the Film Premiere, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Storengy have helped make the ‘How We Live’ event possible.  The WCPTC closing event will take place in March to showcase the work of the second WCPTC over the last 18 months.  The aim of the second WCPTC is to address gaps in services and inequalities across the borough, with three key priority areas focusing on:- food poverty, housing and homelessness, and health, including mental health.