Sonya

Sonya is from Eastern Europe and lives at home with her parents and siblings. She has taken part in all areas of the project. At the beginning she was a reluctant participant. She attended the voluntary sessions because she had nothing else to do and for the EMA. She attended the practice photography shoots that were held. She enjoyed these workshops immensely, stating that she would like to do a course in photography.
During the activities as part of the voluntary sessions, she hardly spoke to anyone. Towards the end of the project she had become proficient in discussing tasks and assigning roles within the project and outside of it.
She doesn’t like to use the video camera, but she asks people to take shots of her in different roles and positions. She feels confident working with the group and encourages other members to participate in activities. During the media crew shoot she negotiates an important role as interviewee. She is a little nervous but is able to put her message across. She is unfazed by other members dropping out of the media crew shoot. We practice some of the questions before and she is confident in her filmed responses.
She is interested in the manipulation of video files and learns how to convert different formats. She is also able to edit and create effects on video imagery using the new software. She enjoys learning the new skills and tries to persuade her peers to attend the editing sessions.
She attends the public performance and is embarrassed by her filmed performance. She finds the ordeal humorous and laughs at most of the film.
She is currently studying GCSE Science and ESOL Level 2.