“Mikey and Jools Keep Safe” has won an award at the US festival Accolade, recognising “exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, standout production, and unique voices”.
mediaco-op was commissioned by the CEDAR (Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse Recovery) Network to produce a five minute animated film for children. This animated production is aimed at children who find themselves in unsafe situations without knowing what they can do to protect themselves.
“Mikey and Jools keep safe” has been developed for children who have experienced and are recovering from domestic abuse. It shows how a brother and sister make a safe decision when they experience ‘shouting and hurting’ in their home.
“Mikey and Jools keep safe” teaches children that they always have choices. They learn to trust their feelings, identify their options, and make decisions that will keep them safe. It gives children simple tools to use, and it helps them understand that they are not the cause of the problems that exist within their families.
It provides an opportunity to consider safety planning and can be a starting point for children to talk about their experiences. Once the film has ended the children are asked how they are feeling, some can find it upsetting and difficult, and it may make them sad. The children are asked how it felt watching the film. The end of the film is deliberately left ‘open’ to explore what might happen next. For example, what happened to dad after the police were called? This allows children to talk about their own experiences.
Mikey and Jools keep safe effectively communicates the following important messages to young children:
• You can trust your own feelings
• It isn’t selfish to take care of yourself
• You don’t have to stay in situations that feel unsafe
• You can make decisions and take action that will lead you to safety
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“Mikey and Jools Keep Safe” was written by Martin McCrardie (River City, Shameless), animated by the artist Nikki Godley and produced by media co-op.
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