Call for proposals for a documentary production on young people’s trajectories from education to employment in Jordan and Lebanon

Education is increasingly being recognized as an integral component of any refugee crisis response plan. While being one of the top priority areas for donors, there is limited research examining the relationship between education and employment prospects for young people in the context of protracted displacements. Our research programme seeks to rectify this gap and addresses the following question: in displacement settings, what shapes the trajectories of young people from education into employment?

This research programme is based in Lebanon and Jordan, two countries with a long history of hosting refugees. It analyses the trajectories from education to employment of young people, between 18 and 29 years old, with different legal, social, and socioeconomic statuses in various regions in each country and aims to further understand how educational opportunities and experiences of refugees shape their pathways into employment and unemployment. The trajectories of young Syrian and Palestinian refugees are juxtaposed with those of Lebanese and Jordanian youth, to examine the role of legal status, a critical but understudied dimension, since much of the discussion and research remain focused on the poor outcomes of education in protracted conflict.

The project aims to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship and dynamics between education and employment in the context of protracted displacement, through an intersectional analysis, and to amplify young people’s voices heard through collaborative analysis and different creative productions, including a documentary film.

Purpose of film

This documentary film will cover three regions in Lebanon (Beirut, Saida and Bekaa) and the city of Amman in Jordan and will be filmed inside and outside refugee camps in both countries  The film aims to work with young people in Lebanon and Jordan to communicate to policymakers, academics, organisations working on education and employment, and the wider public young people’s experiences of moving from education to employment in contexts of crisis and marginalisation, and the challenges and opportunities that they negotiate in doing so.

The purpose of the film is to:

1. Examine the impact of legal status and other statuses (socio-economic, gender, geography) on youth education and employment trajectories in Lebanon and Jordan. Unpack the structural and non-structural challenges that affect youth future aspirations and realities.
2. Communicate findings from the research project regarding young people’s trajectories from education to employment in crisis contexts
3. Work with young people from different legal and social statuses in the communication of their experiences.

Scope and technical responsibilities

CLS and CENDEP are looking for a skilled and creative filmmaker with good experience working with young people and those from marginalised backgrounds to produce the outstanding film. The filmmaker should have a good understanding of migration, Palestinian and Syrian refugee contexts, young people, and education and employment in both Jordanian and Lebanese contexts.

The filmmaker is expected to produce a documentary film of approximately 45 minutes. All film production, including writing, filming, and editing should be done by the filmmaker, in consultation with the CLS/Oxford Brookes team. The film will be produced in Arabic with English subtitles. The final product should be ready to air, and the final version provided should be compatible with internet and TV screening.

The filmmaker will be expected to:

• Work with young people from all identified project areas, requiring travel to Lebanon and Jordan
• Work with the project team and young people to identify key issues, findings and messages
• Develop the storyboard and script with young people participating for approval by the CLS/Oxford Brookes team
• Conduct the filming
• Prepare the draft film that will be discussed and reviewed by participants and CLS/Oxford Brookes team
• Finalise the editing of the film, in line with the feedback received, including sound mixing and English subtitles.
• Submit the final version of the film including an online link
• Return all footage captured (even if not used) to the CLS/Oxford Brookes team

Duration: The assignment is expected to take approximately 8 months, from the signing of the contract.

Budget: The film total budget including equipment fees, shooting days, team remunerations, travel expenses (tickets to and accommodation in Jordan or Lebanon) and transportation in and between Lebanon and Jordan shall not exceed 30 000 USD

Applicants should have:

• Demonstrated experience in documentary filmmaking and evidence of creative approaches to communicating people’s stories.
• Experience in participatory work with young people
• Experience in working with marginalised individuals and communities
• Previous work in Jordan and/or Lebanon
• Familiarity with social and humanitarian issues, particularly refugees, migration, education and youth employment.
• Preferably experience with NGOs and/or research centres