Campaign! at Square Pegs
Square Pegs is an inclusive drama group in Maidstone, Kent. The ‘pegs’ worked with filmmaker Caterina Sartori to create their campaigning film. They want to spread the message of how important an inclusive arts group is to them, and express their opinion that ‘everyone should be able to go to a group like Square Pegs’. They shared their film with a group in Russia, Perspectiva who have made similar films promoting their work and who also used black and white and colour filming to represent emotions like Square Pegs.
As well as making their film they also travelled to London to present their ideas to a panel of MPs and Peers and sent their dvd and ideas to over 50 theatres and arts officers across the South East.
Their campaign has led to more funding being made available to them in their local area and has led to regional theatres setting up new groups for young people with learning disabilities and communication needs in their local area.
This is their campaign – Makes Lives Brighter
Square Pegs drama group visit Parliament as part of Campaign!
Square Pegs is an inclusive Drama Group specifically aimed at young people with communication needs and learning disabilities and they have worked on a Campaign! The group feels there is not enough support and facilities or funding to help groups like Square Pegs to start up, grow and network and get to know one another. “Everyone should be able to go to a group like Square Pegs”, said one of the participants.
They started work on their Campaign! at the beginning of January with Participatory Film Maker Caterina Sartori and planned their storyboard and shooting plan and were filming on location during mid January to get all the shots they needed.The group usually works towards building devised and script based performances so this project is a change for them as they have chosen to work with film to share their campaign with others.
They made a film to show their feelings and opinions to help them present their campaign to a panel of MPs, peers and staff members at Parliament on the 1st February. The panel included Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and the Weald. Everyone was really excited about going to Parliament and learnt so much from the tour. It was great to see the room where laws are made and walk through the voting area that MPs use to make all the big decisions. The film was shown to three MPs and a Baroness and to members of staff at Parliament and they all seemed to think that the ideas were valid and agree that groups like Square Pegs are really important to young people and the future of our world. The MPs and Baroness joined in when Beth James, Artistic Director and Square Pegs taught them a game that they play at the group. It was especially exciting for Square Pegs to meet Helen Grant, their local MP, as she can now help and support them with their activities.
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