Posted on: Friday 11 July 2025
More than 30 young people from across Torfaen came together this week to raise awareness of discrimination at the first-ever Torfaen Youth Alliance Film Festival.
The event, designed as a platform for young people to express their concerns through creative media, opened with the premiere of Invisible Lines, an animated short film produced by the Gypsy Traveller Youth Forum.
The film explores the challenges faced by Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller young people in their communities and was praised for its powerful message.
Other films showcased addressed important issues such as stereotyping, bullying, and the need for young people’s views to be listened to and taken seriously.
Fourteen-year-old Rae Carter, a member of the Torfaen Youth Forum and compere for the event, said: “This has been fantastic. I loved working with the team and directing the film.”
The Torfaen Youth Alliance is a collaborative network made up of several youth forums, including the Gypsy Traveller Youth Forum, Torfaen Youth Forum, Pontypool Youth Council, Youth Housing, and the TOGS Centre Torfaen.
Philip Wilson, Torfaen’s Children and Young People’s Participation Officer, who set up the youth alliance in 2024, said:
“This has been a wonderful opportunity. The film festival is a culmination of all the great work we have done together as a collective.
“The Torfaen Youth Alliance continues to play a vital role in ensuring that young people’s voices are heard at local, regional, and national levels.
The festival marked the third meeting of the group, following earlier discussions about Article 12 of the UNCRC — the right of young people to have their voices heard. This led to a focus on discrimination and how it can affect young people from different backgrounds.
Cllr Richard Clark, Executive Member for Children, Families and Education, added:
“Supporting young people to express themselves and influence decisions that affect their lives, is important and shapes future generations. Events like this empower them to build confidence, and help create fairer, healthier communities for the future.”
The film festival will now become an annual event, offering a creative platform for young people to showcase their work on issues that matter most to them.
The Torfaen Youth Alliance is open to all youth groups in the borough, and welcomes new members who are passionate about making a difference in their communities.