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Dead Ends – ‘Wicked’ Article by Rebecca Nixon
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It’s hard not to take the media’s opinion on the current state of Britain’s youth extremely personally. With ‘asbos’ ‘corrupt’ and ‘hoodies’ being the usual words thrown about in the media, you’d be forgiven for feeling like we’re all slightly doomed. That said, Wicked reporter Rebecca Nixon recently had the pleasure of meeting up with a group of dynamic gamers doing their best to challenge these perceptions.
The project Dead Ends sees youngsters from some of London’s toughest areas working alongside multi-media production group RollingSound to create an entertaining video game about the consequences of carrying a weapon on the streets.
A far cry from the aims of the gaming industry in general, Dead Ends is the coming together of raw experience, imagination and general computer-geekery promises. It’s creating a rare educational project that feels relevant and engaging for youngsters – who are used to experiencing real emotions in a virtual setting since the advent of the gaming industry.
I spoke with Ollie, who at the tender age of 10 decided that creating video games was his talent; at an almost geriatric 17 Ollie now works as a games developer for RollingSound. He talked to me about his work.
“I wanted to create a realistic worlds which understood just how easy it is to become involved in street-crime. So I created this character - Keith Wilcox who gets involved with a gang. Keith gets presented with choices that change the course of the game you get your weapon, your patch, your difficult situations and you make your choices. But then the game suddenly shifts to a different time and you realise Keith is dead, you then become a detective trying to discover how and why Keith was murdered. It’s clever because you can’t control the repercussions, but it becomes clear how the choices you make start a chain-of-events that decide Keith’s fate.”
It’s this clever switch in point of view that RollingSound are hopeful will reveal the message of the dangers of street crime. The debate that surrounds the effect of certain video games, music and films on Britain’s youth and whether or not it is contributing to the rising level of street violence has been recently resuscitated with the launch of Grand Theft Auto 4 and seems to refuse to go away anytime soon.
Having me with Ollie and played the game (rather well I think for a noobie!!) I think it is safe to say that RollingSound, Channel 4 and the likes of Dead End’s lead animator Akshay Khullar (who animates the cut scenes and 3D features), John Ribbons (lead programmer) and Ollie are using video games to send out a positive message and prove that the closest most youngsters want to get to street crime is a virtual game.
Download Dead Ends now at http://www.bebo.com/disarmingbritain
Play the arcade version here at http://www.bebo.com/disarmingbritain
Watch the ‘making of’ documentary here http://www.bebo.com/disarmingbritain
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1 day ago
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The Best Friend’s Story by Rebecca Nixon
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Death is always unfortunate. Never as much as when it happens to a close friend of yours. But this is what I have had to face this week when I became a victim myself.
In this in depth and thought provoking article journalist Rebecca H Nixon talks to Wicked Magazine about her experiences of an awful, random shooting ‘The Best Friend’s Story’.
Sean Walker was one in a million, a thoughtful good looking talented musician who was destined for the big time. However such a promising and illustrious career was cut short by a bullet from the darkness.
Friday 13th June 2008. This was a day I would never ever forget. But for most of that day I was blissfully unaware of this fact. I went to the London Aquarium that day for a talk about the worlds most famous female Oceanographer. I had texted my best friend Sean from the lecture theatre to find out where his next Spannaz gig was going to be. Ironically that night’s gig was also to be his last. Outside his sell-out club night Sean Walker was shot dead by a stray bullet. Simply the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time in the middle of a fight that wasn’t his.
When I heard of Sean’s death the next morning, I’m ashamed to say I was in the middle of a manicure at my local spa. Although I know Sean would understand, he was always the first to tease me about my need to look good at all times, we were always laughing together. My first reaction was complete shock – I sat there for a moment literally reeling from the news. Sean, talented, attractive and full of life had been killed by a stray bullet. But how could this be?, he had so much to live for, only in the two weeks before he had been signed to a smallish label and the label was backing an album. But because of this urban culture of street and gang crime and entirely innocent friend had had his life cruelly cut short by a random act of violence.
It’s going to be a long time before I can understand why Sean has been killed. It’s going to be even longer before I can think about forgiving the people involved in his death. I can only hope I have the strength of character and forgiveness necessary to understand and in writing this article I hope I can persuade others of the consequences of street crime.
As for my best friend Sean, I only wish we could have spent more time together, who knows what might have happened between two talented attractive successful people if he hadn’t been taken so early? What if his album had been a mega success and fame had followed? what if our relationship had been allowed to run its course? what if we’d gone on to university and shared in each others lives like close friends? But because of the horror of a stray bullet that’s all I’m left: what ifs.
If you’re coping with the death of someone close, ChildLine can help. For advice on bereavement and more, visit ChildLine.org.uk – or if you need to talk, you can call ChildLine on 0800 1111.
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4 day ago
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The Friend's Story, by Sofia Taylor.
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Sometimes the most terrible of situations can bring the most incredible people in to your life. I suppose it’s a way of balancing out life’s unpredictable highs and lows. When I met Sushil, I was at a very low point in my life, having lost a good friend to a gun fired in the street and then, suddenly, there was someone who understood everything I was going through better than I did myself. And, I realised that her story, my story all deserve to be told to be brought out in to the light rather than hidden away.
Sushil’s nightmare started when a boy from her school was killed on a bus “Although I didn’t know him well, he was my friend’s brother. I couldn’t help but be upset, in fact, it was a sad day for everyone.” But the boy hadn’t just been killed, he’d been murdered and it wasn’t long before speculation filled the college corridors that it had been gang related.
One night at home listening to music with her boyfriend Tarique, Sushil started to talk to him about her friend’s brother, and his sad death. Tarique’s reaction was defensive and violent and she realised the reality was her boyfriend and his gang had stabbed her friend’s brother to death.
“I didn’t know what to do. My friend’s family were desperate for answers, but I couldn’t do anything for them because I knew what Tarique would do to me. I just hid myself away, pretending like I didn’t exist.”
But however she hid from others, she couldn’t hide from herself and Sushil realised she was facing an impossible choice. She could put her boyfriend in prison or carry his dark secret forever. One thing she did know, whatever choice she made, nothing would ever be the same. It didn’t take long before Sushil found the strength to go to the police and give evidence against her boyfriend.
This strength of character is obvious when you meet Sushil even just over a quick coffee. She faced up to knowing what she knew and told the police not caring what might happen. In the end she just couldn’t bear to let the killers of her friend’s brother get away with it.
Sushil knows she made the right choice but it’s clear how the scars run deep still.
“I’ve just been taking it a day at a time… starting up my bebo site has been good for talking to people about everything, it’s comforting to hear people relate with my story and understand what I’ve been through”. .
Meeting Sushil was so helpful to put what happened to me into perspective, I realise even senseless violence can be used to help you be more optimistic about life, and to make wiser choices. I’m not going to let the past stop me from living today, but I am going to let it change the way I think about this issue, I won’t let Sushil’s experience or my loss of my friend Sean make me sad, angry or frightened but to look for ways of talking to others about it and maybe like Sushil affecting change. And I hope you will too.
Bebo are currently working with Channel 4 to give young people a platform to discuss street crime.
To have your say, visit www.bebo.com/disarmingbritain.
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1 Comment
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6 day ago
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