ALMOST 50 young people are working with video and drama artists to develop a documentary on communicating with children and young people.

Youngsters aged five to 13 from Newton Aycliffe are paving the way for improved understanding between themselves and the Sedgefield Borough Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), a group working to improve the area.

The videotape documentary will look at communication techniques and the methods that could be adopted by the LSP to improve its engagement with children and young people.

The first two weeks of the school holidays has seen youngsters from Elmfield, St Joseph's and Stephenson Way primary schools, and Greenfield School and Community Arts College becoming involved in the initial filming.

The early part of the project is based at the college, with the final elements of filming taking place at the Sedgefield Borough Splash play scheme, at Silverdale House, which will be operating for the last four weeks of the holidays.

Once the film is completed and edited, it will be premiered in October for the children involved in its production, their parents and friends. There will be a further showing for the LSP.

The young people will receive copies of their work and some will attend a meeting with representatives from the Sedgefield Children and Young Peoples' Partnership to discuss their findings.