Collaboration

Naomi Cortes working with Key Stage 4 pupils at St Paul's Academy, Greenwich

The Learning Mentor Team of St Paul’s Academy invited Naomi to create an interactive film exploring cyber-bullying and ‘silent’ protagonists. The end result was a raw and edgy fifteen-minute film endorsed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

Working with Key Stage 4 pupils, Naomi explored the group’s opinions about bullying, from the perspective of both aggressor and victim. In response to Naomi’s honesty in sharing with them her own experiences at school, the young people were forthcoming with their own encounters and the idea for their film, titled Consequences, was born.

The film was made in partnership with the students. They performed all the roles, including storyboarding and location scouting, rehearsing and filming, editing and promotion. Naomi was involved throughout the whole project, supporting the students in their decision-making and umpiring when disagreements occurred. She maintained a good, strong group dynamic, as many of the participants were working together for the first time, and assisted the group as they developed their silver-screen talents.

"Her direct and honest approach is refreshing. An excellent communicator and someone who understands the needs of a group, Naomi takes participants on an imaginative creative learning journey that is fun, well-paced and respectful of the needs of all concerned."
Angela Michaels – Associate Director, Half Moon Young People's Theatre