BARNARDO’S has launched a unique campaign in which teens from across the UK will deliver their own “brutally honest” speech on Christmas Day.

‘The Teens’ Speech’ will be aired online on MySpace after lunch. The purpose of the project is to give adult Britain a fresh insight into the state of the country by revealing the hopes and obstacles facing its next generation.

The final Teens’ Speech film is being realised by experienced documentary director, Virginia Quinn (Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery Channel). She and her crew have been filming since early November, meeting teens that span the UK’s diverse social spectrum. Virginia told us: “We’re exploring and challenging some of the biggest stereotypes about teenagers in the mainstream. We are expecting the film to be frank, revealing and full of surprises."

Being a generation that is used to mediating itself, dozens of teens have also been busy uploading their own video contributions to YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. This melting pot of teenage life and opinion can be followed on The Teens’ Speech blog and Twitter.

The campaign has also provided a platform for new research into teen attitudes and experiences, the results of which are sobering. One poll revealed that one in four teenage girls has felt pressured into sex by someone older.

Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey said: "We want to listen to what young people think themselves about issues which are important both to them and to adults. This is groundbreaking, harnessing the reality that young people are part of a digital generation. I expect some profound reflections from children and young people about the world they will inherit."

The project has already earned attention from politicians and is supported by youth websites, vlogs and blogs, such as Better Never Than Late. The Teens’ Speech will be streamed on Christmas Day in a groundbreaking partnership with MySpace. And it will also appear on the front page of YouTube.

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