Filming for an educational DVD on the consequences of mis-using alcohol or getting involved in anti-social behaviour saw Fermanagh drama students on location in Irvinestown and even pretending to have a party at their drama teacher’s home.

The young actors joined real-life paramedics and policemen to dramatically depict the consequences of mis-using alcohol or engaging in anti-social behaviour in a DVD launched last week.

The DVD, part of an educational resource called ‘My Life, My Choice’, is built around two scenarios written and dramatised by the participants. Their films are part of activities suggested in the resource geared towards 11 to 16 year olds exploring the issues of alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour created by Enniskillen-based Development Media Workshop.

Mrs. Sally Rees, Drama Tutor at Portora, said that given Portora’s specialist school status in Visual and Performing Arts, students studying drama from a number of schools are taught there and took part in the making of the DVD.

Filming was on location in Irvinestown and Mrs. Rees’s own home was used as the party venue for the filming on alcohol mis-use. “My neighbours were wondering what was going on as there was an ambulance outside the house! The paramedics and police were so good. They really acted out the role play as it would happen in real life so it added to the authenticity for us all. Students used it as part of their A Level course work as well,” she said.

Former Collegiate student Ashleigh Dunwoody plays Rachel in the scenario about mis-using alcohol. Star of the musical Grease last year, former Portora student Darryl Roycroft, take a less upbeat role in the second piece based on the consequences of anti-social behaviour. Both students achieved A*s in Performing Arts at Portora.

Real-life medical professionals such as Richard Wylie (paramedic), Barry Palmer (Emergency Medical Technician) and GP Dr. Geoff Mulligan also took part. The film also includes Sergeant Alan Ward and Constable Gary Rolston from the Roads Policing Unit and Constable Leslie Ward, Community and Schools involvement Officer.

Young actors taking part include Maria Burns, Blathine Maguire, Jane Maguire, Rachel Taylor, Maire McHugh, Ben Huddleston, Ryan Kells, Alastair Irwin, Thomas McConville. Nathan Barrett, Adam Purvis and Matthew Gault. Blathine Maguire narrates.

As many as 90 young people and teachers from schools across the county attended the launch on Friday at the Clinton Centre. The schools attending included Mount Lourdes, Devenish College, St, Mary’s College, Brollagh, the Erne School, St. Mary’s High School, Irvinestown, the Erne Integrated School, St. Joseph’s College, Portora, Collegiate, St. Fanchea’s and Lisnaskea High School.

Dr. Michael Brown of the Development Media Workshop produced the entire resource. He said that it was about three months in production. Filming took place in March.

“It is a learning resource that explores the connection between alcohol mis-use and anti-social behaviour. There are two scenarios that young people wrote and themselves. One looking at a girl with alcohol mis-use and another with a boy with anti-social behaviour and consequences that has on their lives. Young people from Portora, Collegiate, Mount Lourdes and St. Michael’s College were involved,” he said.

“The resource can be used within the classroom. It is curriculum-linked to Planning for Life within the second level for key stage three and four. It is very user-friendly for teachers,” he said.

The resource was commissioned by the Fermanagh Drug and Alcohol Forum and the Fermanagh Anti-Social Behaviour Forum and funded by the Fermanagh Community Safety Partnership. Gordon Magrath, Chairman of the Community Safety Partnership Anti-Social Behaviour Task Group commented: “This is about raising awareness of the young people. The task group has been together for four years. It works by assisting communities, running programmes such as the Summer Splash, offering diversionary activities for young people to join in”.

Councillor Alex Baid, Chairman of the Fermanagh Community Safety Partnership, which provided funding for the DVD and learning resource, said: “The Fermanagh Partnership has focused its attention on four key areas. Anti-social behaviour and Drugs and Alcohol are two main crime domains targeted and, certainly statistically, there have been reductions in both areas. Partnership working is the key to the success and in this case, the Community Safety Partnership were pleased to provide funding to two of the Partnership’s task groups to develop a DVD and educational resource pack which would raise awareness of the impact that drugs, alcohol and anti-social behaviour can have on young people’s lives”.