Do you know what keeps our children up at night?

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, youth charity Power The Fight is launching a film in collaboration with London agency tms and production company My Accomplice.

Filmed by award-winning writer and director, Akwasi Poku, the 60-second film highlights the anxiety faced by children and young people affected by violence. It begins with an audio montage of news coverage about violent crimes, played over scenes of teenagers unable to sleep, haunted by the spectre of violence in their imaginations and on their social media feeds. The film demonstrates that the mental health implications of violence have become a part of life for so many. The piece highlights worrying statistics – “39% of children have been a victim or witness of violence, while 65% change their behaviour, how they look and where they do due to fear.”

The film is part of a wider fundraising drive for Power The Fight’s key mental health initiative, TIP (Therapeutic Intervention for Peace). The funds raised will help them deliver adaptable, culturally sensitive workshops and toolkits to young people, families, and practitioners in local communities.

tms was briefed to overcome some of the barriers to fundraising around violence affecting young people and worked in collaboration with My Accomplice and Akwasi to develop the script, narrative and creative direction.