Let Me Speak

Plan International

summary of project

As part of an extensive research project exploring girls and young women's rights in the UK commissioned by Plan International, Media Education was invited to run an accompanying creative research project in the form of a workshop series entitled ‘Let Me Speak’.  In an attempt to understand more about the experiences of girls and young women, and identify what changes need to be made to improve their lives, the resulting research of the ‘Let Me Speak’ workshops contributed to the State of Girls’ Rights in the UK 2024 report. This followed from previous reports conducted by Plan UK in 2016 and 2020. These publications have been instrumental in turning a spotlight on girls’ rights in the UK and have been used by policy makers, voluntary sector organisations, the media, and other stakeholders. 

Working across the four nations of the UK, we ran creative workshops alongside focus groups and narrative enquiry research to understand the concerns of young women and girls aged 12 - 25. Welcoming all cis, trans and intersex young women and girls, as well as young non-binary and gender fluid people, the workshops took place in Great Yarmouth, Blackpool (England), Cupar (Scotland), Derry (Northern Ireland) and Neath Port Talbot (Wales).

The workshops involved research-related discussions and creative sessions to produce various artworks including zine making, photography, poetry and films on the topics discussed. Members of each group were invited to submit any artworks to Edinburgh College for an accreditation in Access to Media. 

our approach

  • “Working in partnership with Media Education was one of the most rewarding experiences for both our staff and service users. The Media Ed workers were supportive, gentle, encouraging and enthusiastic; taking some very vulnerable women and coaching them through the process of producing their own film about a difficult subject.”

    Jan Ferguson, Edinburgh Women's Aid, Shakti Women's Aid

  • “From the outset, I have been struck by the strength of the ethos of Media Education’s approach. Adopting a film creation process that is very respectful of the lives and issues of people and communities and using empowering methods has been ideal for what we are trying to achieve.”

    Dr Trevor Lakey, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

  • “The team at Media Education have been invaluable to us, offering a flexible programme which engages young people at their own pace; encourages team work; embraces learning and new ideas; builds confidence; and encourages young people to complete a project, perhaps for the first time in their lives.”

    Karen Brown, East Lothian Works

  • “Media Education made the process fun, easy and fulfilling. Our community were central to the development of the idea, the content and the final film that was produced. We would not hesitate working with them again and look forward to future collaborations.”

    Georgia Artus, LifeCare Edinburgh

  • “Perhaps the most important aspect related to my work is that the children, families and practitioners who have been involved in filming have felt well supported by Media Education staff – they may have been nervous at first but have felt relaxed and happy at the end of the filming process.”

    Elaine Kerridge, Children in Scotland

  • “Media Education has worked with us for over nine years on the Scottish Young Carers Festival to run the radio station and to produce a consultation video. When we’ve got this resource, decision makers and local authorities can hear directly from the young carers. It’s a really powerful tool.”

    Lorna Goodwin, Carers Trust Scotland

  • “Media Education captured lots of special moments when they made several short films with the National Involvement Network. Film is a great way to share the stories of the people we support and our members loved the whole experience, especially when they got a chance to work the camera and sound recorder!”

    Brid Cullen, ARC Scotland

  • “The team at Media Education dealt with the people that we interviewed in a very compassionate and empathetic way. You don’t know that sort of thing on a piece of paper, it’s only when you see them working in action.”

    Kirstie Cusick, National Lottery Promotions Unit

  • “Being able to hear what people said in their own words and voices brought key points to life for different audiences. I was impressed with Media Education’s ability to understand what we needed very quickly, help make people feel comfortable on camera, edit to key messages and ultimately produce a very moving film.”

    Zoe Ferguson, Carnegie UK Trust

  • “Media Education listen to what the client or trainees needs are, make well considered suggestions and deliver according to time and budget. Each of my interactions garnered excellently produced, professional results – from detailed quotes to highly rated, popular training sessions – and was exceedingly good value.”

    Ailsa Macfarlane, Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage

  • “I was impressed with how well Media Education engaged with our membership and staff as well as how flexible and adaptable they were in ensuring everyone felt comfortable in front of the camera. The videos are of exceptional quality and have projected our services in a vibrant, emotive and engaging presentation.”

    Gary Seath, Scottish War Blinded

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