Anti-Gun / Knife Campaign For over the past 26 years communities within Manchester have seen drugs, gangs and violence take hold. We have reached a stage where a 15 year old child can kill another child and feel little emotion. It is clear that these issues do not only affect the Black and Minority Ethnic Communities and if we are to see an end to the violence and destruction of our young men and their families, the communities have to take the lead and gain control.

Organisations like ourselves are working hard to change this situation, working with parents to support positive parenting, campaigning for local authorities to ensure they invest in high quality schools, safe play areas, support for parents and engaging youth to ensure they make the most of their opportunities and contribute towards their communities.

Over the last eight years communities have started to fight back with the development of groups such as Mothers Against Violence, Street pastors, Teen bash and Carisma and the Next Generation working towards addressing the issues of gun crime within our community.

As part of the overall all aim of Dodge the Bullet to raise awareness, educate, and support young people wanting to make a difference we provide a platform for “The living to Die” play. A socially conscious drama which depicts the realities of life for teenagers living within our communities.

Offering a creative platform to engage in discussion, providing a educational resource enabling young people to take their place in the community which offers positive engagement and where dialogue is how problems are solved, issues are raised and values are embraced.

Crime drama focuses on the kids who resist thugs. A haunting drama has brought to life the realities of gang crime. Living to die, written by a group of teenager’s girls for a gcse project, highlighted the courage of inner city youngsters who resist thugs. Part of the mothers against violence dodge the bullet campaign, the play was a response to the shootings, which have rocked Manchester in the recent months. Staged at the Zion centre, Hulme, the play launched the generate festival. The event was the climax of a summer project which young people have learned samba drumming and the Brazilian material art capoeira which involved dance and celebrated their diverse backgrounds.

The drive used techniques developed in the gun-plagued neighbours of Rio de Janeiro to harness the group of street gangs and encourage youngsters to express themselves though art and music. Held over three days, the festival was backed by volunteer group solid earth. It attracted people to Hulme to enjoy music and dance, take part in tropical debate and learn new skills from greener living to music technology.

“Broken heart again, another lesson learnt, better know your friends or else you will get burnt. Gotta count on me, cause I can guarantee that I’ll be fine.” (Mary J Blige)

‘ May the 23rd 2002 was the first day and the last day of the rest of my life. It hit me so hard it sent me spinning into a feeling of uncertainty It hit my brother hard as well… When I arrived at the scene an unidentified covered body was slumped on the floor before me, guarded by forensic tape and armed officers. It could not be my brother, in denial I remember ringing his phone only to hear it ring under the white blood stained sheet, but still, it didn’t sink in.

Two days later we were finally allowed to go and see him, I remember looking at him in the mortuary still in disbelief, in my mind he was asleep really, I could tell, I bent down to give him a kiss and that was when the cold, sticky, stinking feeling of reality hit, just like it had hit my brother………… onto the cold dirty floor, where he was left for what seemed like an eternity (11 hours), like a dog. His body was finally removed but the stain of his blood remained marking the spot for all to see.

We placed all the beautiful flowers at the Blood Stain. My mum sprayed a white cross on the floor where the stain remained, it became an every day meeting point, and we named it “the flowers”. As the months went by the flowers lost there vibrant colour and welcoming fragrance and the petals withered and died falling slowly to the ground, just like the police visits and some of his so called friends. To my family it felt like another death, .

CONTACT US

DODGE THE BULLET

Phone us: 08450 662 48 67
Email us: info@dodgethebullet.co.uk

To say his death took my breath away is an under statement, I am sure that one day I will laugh again uncontrollably without the thought of zennens death subconsciously cutting it short. They say time is a great healer, but its no cure, the circumstances of his death will stay with me for the rest of my life. There’s not an hour goes by that I don’t think about it, on reflection I’ve moved on a great deal… it used to be every minute.

“I don’t know, only god knows where the story ends for me, but I know where the story begins, it’s up to us choose whether we win or lose… and I choose to win.” (Mary J Blige)

Erykah Blackburn, Mothers against violence.