Young people in Fife have been learning filmmaking techniques as part of a part of a heritage project aimed at boosting mental health and wellbeing.

The Sugarcoat initiative gives secondary pupils the chance to learn camera set-up, lighting techniques and sound recording.

The eight students from Inverkeithing, Queen Anne and Dunfermline High Schools are also finding out how to edit footage and conduct interviews.

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The project focuses on creating films on challenging topics that are often seen as being ‘sugarcoated’ from the perspective of young people.

Local MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville recently met the trainees and watched a preview of their work.

The young people also shared their views and questioned Shirley-Anne Somerville on the issue of vaping.

Dunfermline Press: The initiative gives young people the chance to learn filmmaking techniques.The initiative gives young people the chance to learn filmmaking techniques. (Image: OnFife)

Ross Christie, OnFife creative instigator, said: “They spoke to her a good few weeks ago now, and it was a brilliant experience for them. They were still quite early on in the project when we had that, so they were thrown in at the deep end and had to kind of be very professional and come up with a series of questions.

“So they’re really leading the project themselves, we were not telling them what to do, they were really kind of coming up with it themselves, setting up all the equipment and kind of liaising with Shirley-Anne for the project. So it was great.”

Sugarcoat is a collaboration involving OnFife, Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and Fife Council’s digital youth work service, YouthSpace Fife.