On April 27th “Dawn in The Creeks” premièred in Lagos – the first attempt at a television series that would chronicle new youth voices emerging from the Niger Delta region. The show follows the experiences of three young film crews who are being supported in telling their story via films destined for Nollywood. It has the backing of high profile director Jeta Amata, and an advisory board that spans entertainment moguls, business leaders, and grassroots activists.

SDN is supporting the intervention which seeks to give renewed profile to the most difficult issues and match this with more effective dialogue and responses. The community teams selected for the series are making pilot films and are drawn from across the region – Nembe in southern Bayelsa, Ozoro in Delta state , and Erema in central Rivers state. The issues that the young film teams have selected to cover are diverse – ranging from the personal devastation that can result from local oil refining through to questions over local leadership and representation.

The TV series will screen from July and it is hoped that it will serve as a platform for discussion where political, community and civil society leaders engage more frankly on problems that have been neglected. A recent test screening in Nembe demonstrated the pull of the project – The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa and several commissioners were joined by the US Ambassador, the Consul General, and two US Under Secretaries of State. It will also mark the first time that a mass audience has had an opportunity to engage with such discussions and early viewings suggest it has the opportunity to promote national as well as regional debate.