Video. Bury, Lancs. December, 2003. (49mins DVCAM)
A documentary film crew sets out to create a 'fly on the wall' film in Firkin House, a fictitious 'care' home in Bury, and are given unparalleled access to the daily lives of staff and children who somehow co-exist within its walls.There's never a dull day in Firkin House and the camera crew are mostly overlooked as staff and children struggle to maintain a degree of control over every day events that are always just out of reach. There's no plan, no vision, and very little care. People literally bounce off the walls as they fight against the dysfunctional floundering that is sending them all spinning. The lost children are here, screaming out for help, waiting to be found, though they know that if they don't ask at the right end of shift change, they'll be left for yet another cycle. From their resigned acceptance you can see that this goes on and on until finally they are 'released',
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as young adults and handed over to the next level of institutions geared up to meet their needs, or crush their demands. The script is created entirely by Bury based Streetwise 2000 whose members play most of the characters in the film. Many of these have extensive personal experience of the care system and mental health institutions and consider themselves amongst the real lost children of Bury. (Synopsis by Paddy Wagon)
