About the Bottletop Alcohol Awareness Project
Bottletop is an innovative new project developed in Hereford with 16-18 year olds, an age-group that’s had less focus for alcohol awareness initiatives.
Using new media and word-of-mouth to alert students, staged episodes of street theatre around Hereford’s three further education colleges acted as a stimulus for students to get engaged in the project. The participants then explored their stories and perspectives about alcohol use and misuse through drama, as a springboard for developing the content of the site.
The project wasn't prescriptive about the form that the web-based content would take as it was essential that the students create something that will live for them and their peers, and allow them to apply a number of disciplines to promote alcohol awareness. As you can see on the site, the range of media is excellent and the content reflects the backgrounds of the students who became involved.
All of the content that has been produced for the website came through facilitated student activities and are their own ideas and words on the subject. The site may not be to everyone’s liking or always be “on message” but Bottletop is true to the genuine student’s voice.
Bottletop.info is the end result, a website about alcohol awareness by young people for young people. The hope is that the site will continue to develop in future years and that new groups of students will also get the opportunity to have their opinions heard and contribute to the well-being of the Herefordshire community.
The project is a partnership between international brewer Scottish and Newcastle, educational theatre charity The Play House, local sustainable development charity the Bulmer Foundation, vibrant local web designers Infinity Unlimited, Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and the three further education colleges in Hereford – Hereford Sixth Form College, Herefordshire College of Technology and Hereford College of Arts, and has been supported by an investment from Arts and Business.