Badkamra has completed the first film in a six-part video project commissioned by The Pilgrim Trust, exploring how organisations across Greater Manchester support young women’s mental health.
The first film, created with Oddarts, a theatre-based wellbeing charity, highlights their creative and inclusive approach. Using drama and storytelling, Oddarts provides safe, supportive spaces where young women can explore their experiences, build confidence and develop resilience.
The wider project brings together six partner organisations: Oddarts, M13 Youth Project, The Counselling & Family Centre, MASH, Stockport Women’s Centre and ADAB. Each film offers a different perspective on the challenges young women face, and the ways support is delivered within communities.
Badkamra’s approach has been to spend time with each organisation, making sure their work is represented in a way that feels genuine and respectful. Where possible, workshops were led by actor and therapist Gemma Nuttall, who used creative exercises and open conversations to help participants feel comfortable and supported as they shared their experiences on camera.
In some cases, filming with service users wasn’t possible due to confidentiality and safeguarding. Instead, organisations found other ways to tell their stories, including spoken word, artwork, dramatised scenes and interviews with staff. This meant that every organisation could still share the impact of their work while respecting people’s boundaries.
The project has also involved working in particularly sensitive settings. This included collaborating with MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health), where confidentiality is essential. Rather than filming with clients, anonymised testimonies were shared and brought to life through narration. Badkamra was also given access to film in a school, adding another perspective to the series.
“Empowering people to overcome personal difficulties is at the heart of everything Badkamra do,” Tony Lord, Video Production Specialist at Badkamra, said.
“Throughout the project, we have gained valuable perspective on some of the challenges that young women face, and how services across Greater Manchester are helping young women rise to meet those challenges.
“Even the services which couldn’t feature their service users due to safeguarding reasons were able to take part through different creative means. Seeing and hearing the passion and commitment that the women working in this field demonstrate was both insightful and inspiring.”
Given the nature of the subject matter, and the fact that some partner organisations support women affected by trauma, exploitation and abuse, an all-male production team might have been seen as a challenge. However, the project reflects the trust placed in Badkamra’s professional, thoughtful, and empathetic approach and in their ability to create a safe environment for everyone involved.
At its heart, the project is about giving young women a voice, challenging stigma, and raising awareness of the importance of accessible, community-based mental health support. By sharing real experiences and honest stories, the films offer a powerful insight into the work happening across Greater Manchester and the difference these organisations are making.
Emily Smith, Wellbeing Your Way Project Manager at Oddarts, which was the subject of the first film, spoke about her hopes for the impact her film can have.
She said: “Our hope is that this film helps more schools and young people recognise that there are many different ways to approach mental health and wellbeing.
“Creativity can offer a powerful space for self-expression, connection and reflection, particularly for young people who may not always feel comfortable talking about their experiences directly.
“We hope the film shines a light on the voices of the young women involved and encourages more schools to explore creative approaches to supporting wellbeing.”
Filming with the remaining partners is ongoing, with the full series due to be completed by the end of June.
