FreqOUT! Graduates set up their own business

FreqOUT! graduates from the 2005 summer programme, who were previously housed at the Cardinal Hume centre for ex-homeless young people have recently set up their own production company.



The group with ICA Director Ekow Eshun at the FreqOUT! Showcase



Nathan (21), Kane (20) and Matthew (19), first took part in the 'Victoria Voices' workshop with Melissa Bliss and Jake Novak in August 2005. They enjoyed the experience so much that they lobbied FreqOUT! and their hostel workers for a second opportunity to grow their skills and work with the artists.

They wrote a proposal for a short film called 'First Impressions' and we were so impressed by their effort we agreed to run another workshop. The group of six young people started filming a few weeks later. The resulting film features the reactions of a range of Westminster residents and workers to the question, "Should you judge people on first Impressions". The idea grew out of their own experience of discrimination. They spent two days filming and on the first day they dressed in hoodies and casual wear, and on the second day in smart suits in order to guage the public's shift in attitude towards them.

The film was shown at the FreqOUT! ICA Showcase in October 2005 and impressed a representative from the Science Museum so much that they offered to buy the film as a training video for their staff.



Encouraged by their success the young people, who are now living independantly have founded their own production company called 'Wiseroot' and are currently filming a short documentary for London Transport.