Leeds poet’s moving film chronicles communities’ valiant response to Covid crisis.

The challenges Leeds community groups faced during the pandemic and how they overcame them is being captured in a poetic short film.
The Forum Central team who have supported the Communities of Interest project, including Karl Whitty, pictured right.The Forum Central team who have supported the Communities of Interest project, including Karl Whitty, pictured right.
The Forum Central team who have supported the Communities of Interest project, including Karl Whitty, pictured right.

Leeds poet Michelle Scally Clarke has distilled the experiences many felt during lockdown like social isolation and community spirit into verse. It has been set against pictures of well-known places in Leeds like the Hyde Park Picture House.

She was commissioned by Forum Central, a network of health and social care third sector organisations in Leeds, to capture the essence of a report into the Communities of Interest project about the inequalities various groups faced in lockdown and the lessons we can learn from it.

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Michelle said: “As a writer, Leeds born, and now grandmother, the ties and bridges throughout the communities are vast and reaching. We are living in a pandemic, we are all affected in some way. This is a new uncharted time, brimming and bubbling with sadness, loss, fear, love, and hope and giving. I was humbled and honoured to be chosen for the commission from Forum Central, and I hope, the empathy and the resilience of Leeds people shines through.”

Street Games are one of the Communities of Interest partners.  The project looked at issues facing young people.Street Games are one of the Communities of Interest partners.  The project looked at issues facing young people.
Street Games are one of the Communities of Interest partners. The project looked at issues facing young people.

The six-minute film is set to be released on Forum Central’s website and on its YouTube channel next month. Karl Witty, Forum Central’s Third Sector health and care development officer, was impressed by the way Michelle grasped the key points of a 100 plus page report and conveyed it in such an uplifting way.

He said: “As someone who has been embedded within the work and involved in the creation of the report, seeing it translated to an incredibly moving, articulate poem is a really positive experience for me. It has really brought the piece of work to life in a way, which hopefully, will connect with the communities talked about within the report. It feels like it is a really powerful piece, which not only communicates to those people within the health and care system but hopefully connects with the people of Leeds.”

Writer Michelle fought off stiff competition to win the commission. Karl added: “It was a really difficult decision picking the right poet, but Forum Central felt Michelle was just the right person. She had a really lovely tone to her voice. She is from Leeds, she has a Leeds accent. She just really connected with the themes in the poem and communicated the words in a soft and compassionate way.”

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In the poem she also expresses the benefits of working together to make changes, which is a key plank of the Communities of Interest project and its report. The lengthy document highlights some of the positive impact it has had like strengthened partnership working on digital inclusion, men’s health and mental health.

VOICE: Poet Michelle Scally Clarke’s words  feature in the Communities of Interest film.VOICE: Poet Michelle Scally Clarke’s words  feature in the Communities of Interest film.
VOICE: Poet Michelle Scally Clarke’s words feature in the Communities of Interest film.

Karl said: “One thing I’m keen to communicate is this isn’t just an academic piece of work. It is something that has reduced the gap between people and communities and those who make decisions in Leeds. It has also resulted in some real world changes for people and communities of Leeds - those who are experiencing the greatest health inequalities - to ensure resources and support is targeted where the need is the greatest.”

The film, which is scheduled for release in January, will be viewable on forumcentral.org.uk/communities-of-interest. It will also be on Forum Central’s YouTube channel where you can also see a two-minute trailer and hear a snippet of Michelle’s moving poem.

PROJECT:

The Communities of Interest initiative brings together a wealth of different experiences.

The #TogetherLeeds hashtag has featured  prominently in the community campaign.The #TogetherLeeds hashtag has featured  prominently in the community campaign.
The #TogetherLeeds hashtag has featured prominently in the community campaign.
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Forum Central is working in partnership with Voluntary Action Leeds, Healthwatch and Leeds City Council to support a range of different groups like black, Asian and ethnic communities, people with learning disabilities, sex industry workers and the homeless.

The aim is to ensure that information and support relating to Covid-19 reaches everyone, including those in the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in Leeds.

Karl Witty, Forum Central’s Third Sector health and care development officer, said: “At the start of the pandemic there was recognition we needed to get rapid feedback from communities who experience inequalities and have additional challenges in the normal world and how they are experiencing the pandemic.”

They developed a network of organisations representing different organisations throughout Leeds and called it ‘Communities of Interest’ project.

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The group fed back their challenges into the network, like confusion over guidance, access to essential services and wellbeing concerns. But successes were also shared leading to a positive legacy.

Karl added: “Across the pandemic, the Third Sector has been so rapid and dynamic in responding to the challenges.”

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