Immersive virtual reality technology to help young people safely explore the potentially deadly consequences of carrying a knife could be used in North East communities.

A ‘choose-your-own-path’ film shot with actors is viewed using a headset and places the user among teenage friends arranging a fight in a park after a bullying video goes viral on social media.

There are thousands of different scenarios within the 11-minute film, which allows young people to make dangerous decisions in a safe environment while highlighting possible outcomes, including being arrested.

Read more: We try out the immersive VR experience to teach young people about knife crime

Award-winning creative arts company Round Midnight demonstrated their interactive programme at the latest meeting of the North East Knife Crime Taskforce in Durham on Friday.

Simon Brown, who set up the Connor Brown Trust with his wife Tanya after their 18-year-old son died following a fatal stabbing said: “The technology is fantastic and it gives young people that different perspective.”

The Northern Echo: Tanya Brown, centre, with, from left: Alison Madgin, Simon Brown and Pauline Bartley Tanya Brown, centre, with, from left: Alison Madgin, Simon Brown and Pauline Bartley (Image: Sarah Caldecott)Tanya, from Sunderland, added: “This is something that will resonate with young people and make these situations real to them.

“If they make the wrong decision with the VR they can then make the right decision in real life.”

The film - Virtual_Decisions: KNIVES - is not gory and does not seek to glorify street violence. 

It can be followed up with a 12-week curriculum to reinforce lessons learned, including discussion and comparison of different experiences.

It is hoped the scheme could be introduced in schools, youth clubs, community groups and young offending services across the region to make young people make smarter choices to save lives.

The Northern Echo: Jess Melia and Sami Cornick from Round Midnight explain the scheme Jess Melia and Sami Cornick from Round Midnight explain the scheme (Image: Sarah Caldecott)Keep up to date with all of the latest new from the North East and North Yorkshire with a subscription to The Northern Echo here 

Carly Barrass, of Samantha’s Legacy, which was set up by Alison Madgin in memory of her daughter, said: “Virtual reality is a modern way of teaching and you have got to look at ways to keep young people engaged. This is a great way of having a real impact.”

The Northern Echo launched the North East Knife Crime Taskforce as part of a campaign launched in the wake of the murder of 18-year-old Jack Woodley from Newton Aycliffe in 2021.

Knife crime has reached epidemic proportions across the country and last year saw the shocking deaths of two North East boys, Tomasz Oleszak and Gordon Gault, both 14, from stab wounds in two separate incidents.

Police were called recently after a boy of ten took a knife into a Darlington primary school.

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The Northern Echo: Sgt Andy Boyd tries out the VR headset to see the film for himself Sgt Andy Boyd tries out the VR headset to see the film for himself (Image: Sarah Caldecott)Newton Aycliffe neighbourhood police Sergeant Andy Boyd, who has been educating young people about the danger of knife crime, said: “I would like to use this in junior schools.

“I am focused on trying to get to kids when they are nine or ten years old before they get into comprehensive schools when they are not so willing to engage with the police.

“If can reach them when they are young and do it with VR that is certainly something we would like to explore because the kids at that age would absolutely love it.”

Representatives from the violence reduction units covering Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside said they would also welcome the new virtual reality scheme.

Simon Smart, project delivery manager with the VRU in Cleveland, said: “We have been looking at this for classrooms but also for outreach work and depending on the costing there is a very good possibility of us using this.”

The Northern Echo: Simon Smart said he hopes the VR experiences can be brought to Teesside Simon Smart said he hopes the VR experiences can be brought to Teesside (Image: Sarah Caldecott)Steven Hume, head of the VRU in the Northumbria area, said virtual reality headsets have been proved to be effective with the work his team has been doing.

He said: “It is about creative and innovative ways to engage with young people.

“To help them make decisions and take responsibility for the consequences.

“The key is to get schools on board with this and to make it sustainable for people at a local level.”

Round Midnight has worked with Dr Stephanie Burnett-Heyes, from the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham to create the VR videos and the supporting workshop materials.

The taskforce meeting was attended school representatives who agreed the programme would be an effective way of teaching children but said the crucial issue of funding would need to be overcome.

Tim Pinkey from Woodham Academy, the school attended by Jack Woodley, said: “This technology makes the issue come alive for young people and will definitely have an impact. I can see it working very well.

“My only worry is about the cost of it and how it can be implemented.

“If we can find a cost-effective method it would be absolutely brilliant.”

The Northern Echo: Paul Marsden from Belmont School with Tim Pinkney from Woodham Academy on the left Paul Marsden from Belmont School with Tim Pinkney from Woodham Academy on the left (Image: Sarah Caldecott)Paul Marsden, headteacher of Belmont Community School in Durham, where 15-year-old Callum Maddison who fatally stabbed Jack Woodley was a pupil, said: “It is great use of modern technology.

"It is well used and really effective, but the cost is the issue.

“Finding some central funding, maybe from a third party such as the police or youth justice service having this to use to tour around schools could really work.”

The VR demonstration was arranged by Durham and Darlington Magistrates in the Community chairwoman Jacqui Molyneux who is hoping to secure funding from various organisations to bring the scheme to the North East.

She said: “As a magistrate I deal with cases of knife possession and I want to prevent anyone from carrying a knife.

“I have been trying for two years to get this programme into this area so I am so excited that we are finally getting some traction.”

The film about knives follows the success of Round Midnight’s previous film about gang culture and criminal exploitation called Virtual_Decisions: GANGS.

The Northern Echo: The film features young actors who play the viewer's 'friends' and interact with them directly The film features young actors who play the viewer's 'friends' and interact with them directly (Image: Round Midnight)The Northern Echo: There are also characters who challenge the viewer to make unwise decisions There are also characters who challenge the viewer to make unwise decisions (Image: Round Midnight)The programme has been shown to impact greatly on awareness, attitudes, and behaviours around knife-related violence and is already being successfully used in the West Midlands and North West.

Sami Cornick, development manager at Round Midnight, who presented the programme to the taskforce meeting, said: “Sitting with people who have a passion and a desire to change things for young people in society is really refreshing.

“We all are all singing from the same hymn sheet and all want the best for our young people.”

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Jess Melia, the company’s head of digital communication, said: “This multi agency approach is absolutely vital.

“The fact we were able to have conversations across the room to hear what everyone is doing, and how everyone could utilise resources that entire community has got to make a change is so important.

“We are all working for the same thing so why wouldn’t we all work together?”