Throughout the pandemic related lockdown, Headliners has been working with young people in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry on a virtual basis to minimise isolation and help them produce original pieces of journalism. 

Our young people have been producing podcasts, video diaries and articles relating both to how the lockdown has affected them and their communities and to wider topics. Their work has been given a lot of attention on social media where members of the community showed enthusiasm and support.

As part of our ongoing outreach work, Headliners is launching A Summer Like No Other photography competition, open to young people between the ages of 8 and 25 throughout the North. The aim is to engage with a wider audience of young people, to encourage them to observe their environment and to produce photographs which capture their communities living through an extraordinary time.

 Young people can send their photographs until Friday, July 10^th 11:59PM. You can reach us via email (at [email protected] or [email protected]) or via private message on Twitter @HeadlinersNI, and on Facebook – @HeadlinersFoyle or @HeadlinersBT.

The competition is to be judged by the Irish News photographer Mal McCann.

All photographs are welcome as long as they depict, in one way or another, the summer of 2020 and the current situation in the country. This competition is not for professional photographers and we accept all pictures, whether they are taken on a DSLR camera or a smartphone device (or even on a Nokia 3310 if you can work that miracle!)

This is the chance for a young person to win a GoPro camera and see their work published in the Irish News.

The photography used for this competition was taken by Headliners Belfast member Séana Sheppard.

Through our unique multi-media journalism programme, children and young people research and produce stories for publication and broadcast about issues that concern them and campaign for change in their communities. Young people from Headliners (UK) have had their stories and campaigns told on BBC, SKY and ITV and many local TV, radio stations and online.

Our young people can also gain accreditation in a range of digital media skills, journalism and personal progression. If you are interested in joining one of our groups, please get in touch, we want to hear from you! We run weekly sessions in our offices (currently, we conduct online meetings) that offer a wide range of media-based classes and activities.

This project is funded via The National Lottery Community Fund.