Soar believe there is greatness in all young people and deliver early intervention wellness workshops for teenagers. This creative reassures teenagers that what they are feeling is real, and tells them that Soar are there to listen and help them with their issues- which could ultimately change their lives.

The film explores the complexity of being a teenager and how poor mental health and wellbeing can be written off as a phase; something teens will grow out of. The voice over, a fourteen-year-old non-actor, asks the viewer to think back to when they were a teenager, and touches on moments most people have experienced regardless of their generation. The script paints a picture of the trials and tribulations of being a teen: the heartache, the hormones and the emotions, and punctuates each section with that dismissive phrase - it’s just a phase.

Visually we see snapshots of teenage life, performed by non-actors for authenticity. The script and

vignettes build to Soar’s positive message that yes, being a teenager is just a phase in life, but it’s an important one- anything is possible once that pressure doesn’t get in the way - and they are there to help.

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By working with Irish teenagers to deliver a script in their own words, we used language and expressions found in their everyday vocabulary. In the beginning of the script we hear a reference to ‘the school jacks’, which means the school toilets. Next we see a young boy touch the hand of a young girl as the VO says ‘trying to get the shift’, which means trying to kiss or ‘make out’ with someone. We then hear a reference to ‘naggins’ in a field, which are small bottles of alcoholic spirits or liquor. Finally, the pub is referred to as the ‘local local’, Irish people often refer to their local pub as ‘the local’.

Remember your first teen crush?

Clouds of cheap body spray filling the school jacks.

Trying to get the shift.

Tissue stuffed down your bra

‘cause one of the lads said you’d pancake tits.

Your first taste of unrequited love. The actual pain.

It’s just a phase.

Body pulsing with hormones, the angry pimples on your face

almost as angry as you. “Very moody these days”.

Freedom to go anywhere with nowhere to go.

Moved on from the local streets, local shops,

the local local.

All ears huddled around the speaker on your phone,

body heat and laughter keeping you warm.

The streetlights your spotlight ‘til it’s time to go home.

Naggins in a field, trying to see straight.

That first lungful of a cigarette.

The absolute fear of looking stupid in front of your mates.

What they think of you is everything.

It’s just a phase.

The constant buzz of phone notifications,

group chats behind your back. See that pic you were tagged in?

“State of you Friday night”. Tight throat. Anxiety.

It’s just a phase.

Head down in the books. Must get an A.

How the fuck should I know the speed of train X?

Every exam “the one” that will get you to that place,

that course, that college.

It’s just a phase.

Curled up on your bed. So much flying through your head.

Mam and Dad they try to talk to you,

but what can they say?

It’s just a phase.

Being a teenager is just a phase- one of the most important phases of a person’s life. Anything is possible.

That’s why, at Soar, we give thousands of young people in schools across Ireland the platform to confront their personal challenges, so nothing gets in the way of their extraordinary potential.