Teacher Sarah Wyatt with her fellow actors Picture: STUART HARRISON Ref: 76626-2FIFTY Swindon children will work with professionals to make films. The Young Cre8ives project which will see the youngsters scriptwriting, filming and editing marks the re-launch of Mobile Media.

The council outreach programme is running again after winning new funding.

Mobile Media director Shahina Johnson said: "I am delighted Mobile Media is able to bring its expertise back to involve young people in Swindon in the most exciting art forms and using the latest technology."

The young filmmakers from Commonweal School Dyslexia Unit, Hreod Parkway Boffin Club and the Caribbean Saturday Club will make three films over the next five months.

The Caribbean Saturday Club is filming a documentary about Caribbean culture with filmmaker Gurchetan Singh.

Commonweal School Dyslexia Unit is writing and shooting a sci-fi drama, Horror High, using cutting- edge animation techniques and working with local animators, the Evil Twins.

Hreod Parkway Boffin Club is writing and shooting a psychological drama, Ghost Story with filmmaker Keith Philips. The films will be shown at a premiere at Cineworld in the summer.

The youngsters are already developing their ideas with David Collier, an award-winning scriptwriter with a long association with Cre8 Studios.

Mr Collier, who is script executive for My Parents Are Aliens from Granada Kids TV, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Swindon to get involved in digital arts and filmmaking.

"When I pitched the kids' ideas to my TV colleagues they were really impressed."

Mobile Media, which is the outreach arm of Swindon Council's Cre8 Studios, worked with 3,000 children in schools and youth clubs between 1999 and 2003.

It has been able to re-launch after winning backing from the Arts Council and Young Cre8ives is its first project, funded by a £20,000 grant from the UK Film Council's First Light initiative, which has been matched by the Nationwide Building Society.

Andrew Litchfield, Nation-wide's head of environment and social responsibility, said: "We met with Mobile Media and were impressed by their enthusiasm and the way their work has had a positive effect on young people in the region."

The project will be launched at Nationwide tomorrow when the children will have the chance to present their ideas to councillors, funders and the arts community and artists.

Isabel Field