Top 10 Abi: Being Black & 6Teen COMMERCIAL WORK: CULTURAL IMPACT

BRANDFOOTBALL BEYOND BORDERS

PRODUCTION COMPANYCAVIAR

DIRECTOR(S)LAINEY RICHARDSON

AGENCYDARK HORSES

CLIENTFOOTBALL BEYOND BORDERS

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JAKE GABBAY

EDITOR HASANI FRANKE / ART JONES @ WORK

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ADAM BURNS @ DARK HORSES

MUSIC COMPOSER MUSIC SCORE: GUY WOOD / MUSIC SUPERVISION: ED HOYLAND @ BACCHUS CREATIVE

SOUND DESIGN 750 MPH

SHORT SYNOPSIS “ABI: BEING BLACK & 6TEEN” IS THE SECOND IN THE SERIES OF FILMS DIRECTED BY LAINEY RICHARDSON FOR THE EDUCATION CHARITY, FOOTBALL BEYOND BORDERS (FBB) (WWW.FOOTBALLBEYONDBORDERS.ORG) FOR ITS ‘BEYOND BARS’ SPOKEN WORD PROJECT.

AT A TIME WHEN SUPPORT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UK HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY LACKING, THE BEYOND BARS CAMPAIGN BRINGS TO LIFE THE IMMENSE POTENTIAL YOUNG PEOPLE POSSESS, AND HOW WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORT THEY CAN FLOURISH EVEN DURING SUCH CHALLENGING TIMES.

THE PROJECT BEGAN WITH VIRTUAL WRITING WORKSHOPS, LED BY PROFESSIONAL WRITERS, SPOKEN WORD ARTISTS AND CREATIVES, WHO HELD SESSIONS ON ZOOM FOR MORE THAN 60 YOUNG PEOPLE. THE PARTICIPANTS, RANGING IN AGE FROM 13 TO 16, WERE ASKED TO WRITE PERSONAL POEMS BASED ON THEIR LIVES IN LOCKDOWN.

YASSIN SLIMANI-MENDEZ (14) AND ABI SIMMS (16) WERE CHOSEN AS WINNERS, BY A PANEL OF JUDGES THAT INCLUDED ROMA DEFENDER CHRIS SMALLING. YASSIN & ABI WON THE CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR WORDS TURNED INTO FILMS, IN WHICH THEY BOTH STAR.

ABI’S CINEMATIC POETRY FILM ABOUT HER BLACK EXPERIENCE, WAS PENNED THE DAY SHE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD. AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT, VIBRANT, ENERGETIC AND FULL OF SPIRIT, BEING BLACK & 6TEEN CONTRASTS THE HARDSHIP AND BEAUTY OF ABI’S LIFE TOLD THROUGH A BRIT-CENTRIC LENS. STAGED MEDITATIVE STYLISED SET-UPS AND ARCHIVE STILLS, COLLECTIVELY BUILD MEANING AND MESSAGE LEAVING US ON A POWERFUL NOTE OF OPTIMISM WHICH IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT LOCKDOWN NEWS, CASTS A POSITIVE LIGHT ON TRYING TIMES, CONVEYING A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND BETTER DAYS TO COME.

EXTRA CREDIT 1 WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY: ABI

EXTRA CREDIT 2 PRODUCER: TASH BLOOM

EXTRA CREDIT 3 MANAGING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: SORCHA SHEPHERD

EXTRA CREDIT 4 EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: ELLIE GOODWIN

EXTRA CREDIT 5 POST: ELECTRIC THEATRE COLLECTIVE / COLOURIST: LUKE MORRISON @ ETC