A group of girls from Ipswich have said being involved in a media project has helped to boost their confidence and expand their skills.
The young learners have just completed a programme called Girls, Where You At?, which aims to encourage more girls to explore roles in the creative industry.
The scheme was put on by community interest company, Future Female Society, which is celebrating its first birthday and has laid on a host of programmes in the past year to enhance the prospects of women and girls in Ipswich.
Girls, Where You At? was open to 13-20-year-olds and provided participants with female-led workshops in radio, poetry, music and video production.
The project was so successful that it has been granted Children in Need funding to run again next year.
Kim Trotter, founder of Future Female Society, said: “Ipswich is a really low aspiration area for women and girls and this area suffers from that.
“One of the things I wanted to do is to develop skills and confidence to encourage girls to realise they can do whatever they wanted to do.”
Grace Dersley, 17, is studying media at Suffolk New College and she said Girls, Where You At? had improved her self-esteem.
“I have been scared of being too confident or sounding arrogant or self-obsessed so I hid away a bit but I have started having more faith in myself,” she added. “There is a belief in society that girls are supposed to be really humble.”
Holbrook Academy pupil Freya Ewart-Howlett, 13, reflected that sentiment: “Before I did the radio I wouldn’t say I was good at something but now I’m fine with saying I’m good at something and I’m proud of that.”
Charlize Nicholas, also from Holbrook Academy, added: “I have enjoyed pretty much everything because we have done so many things which we haven’t done before, so it’s a whole new skill set.”
The 13-year-old said she now she felt more confident introducing herself to new people.
Stoke High School student Stella Taplin, 15, said: “Everyone here I have made friends with and I wouldn’t have known them otherwise.”
Other programmes by Future Female Society include More Than Mum!, Women of Whitehouse and Club Aspiration.
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