New Opportunituies - Mini Mediabox Fund

10 March 2010

Mediabox announced big changes to its ‘Mini Mediabox’ grant, giving more organisations from across the country access to funding for youth-led media projects.The changes to ‘Mini Mediabox’ aim to encourage further youth groups and organisations from across England to take advantage of the grant. Changes include increasing the annual turnover threshold from £100,000 to £150,000 as well as accepting applications from support branches or umbrella groups.

Mini Mediabox has also opened its doors to schools and colleges, provided they are able to demonstrate that a Mini Mediabox project would provide a new, extracurricular opportunity for their students.

Mediabox is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) fund that gives disadvantaged young people the chance to create media projects about issues that matter to them, from film and journalism to digital media and campaigns.‘Mini Mediabox’ is the smallest grant on offer, ranging from £1,000 to £5,000, designed to give organisations that have a limited track record of delivering media projects the chance to extend their experience and offer 13 – 19 year olds the opportunity to learn new skills and get their voices heard.

To incorporate these changes the online application process has been redesigned, making it easier and faster for first time applicants to access the funds. The changes to Mini Mediabox have been made in response to the needs of the voluntary sector.

Anna Walker, from P.A.T.H, recently received Mini Mediabox funding for ‘Stories from Hounslow’, a project that gives a group of 13-19 year olds the chance to create a media exhibition exploring their feelings about their community. Anna says: "We've been put off from applying for grants before, due to the length of time it takes and the impact it has on our limited resources. We’ve also been hesitant to apply for larger grants, as we don’t have the capacity to deliver a large-scale project. Mini Mediabox, with it’s quick application process and low level grants has given us the chance to try something we’ve always wanted to do and to empower the young people we work with.”

Mini Mediabox is now open for funding, for full application forms and guidelines visit www.media-box.co.uk Regional coordinators from across the country on hand to provide advice and pre-application support.

Sas Bonser is the regional coordinator for Mediabox in the South West, and can offer advice and pre-application support. So please get in touch if you would like to apply.

Sas Bonser| Project Manager | South West Screen | St Bartholomews Court | Lewins Mead | Bristol | BS1 5BT
(t) 0117 952 9977 (f) 0117 952 9988
(e) sas.bonser@swscreen.co.uk (w) www.swscreen.co.uk Subscribe to our free e-bulletin to keep up-to-date at www.swscreen.co.uk

February 2010

A creative and animated half term!

Create Studio had an action-packed February half term, helping two different groups of young people get their messages across using the media.

Animation experts from Create helped a “Wallace and Gromit”-style production with 10 young people from Voice, a group which supports young people who have been in care. The film is being made in partnership with Bristol University and it will go on to help train social workers in how best to support young people who have been in the care system.

Voice - an award-winning charity that promotes the rights of children and young people - are "excited about this innovative, ground breaking project", said Julia Wilkinson. “The amount of creativity and commitment shown by the team was amazing. The young people have produced something that is not only fantastic to look at, but that will directly improve the experience of children and young people in the care system”.

Lead Animator on the project Helen Whelehan said, “Using animation and characters can be a brilliant way of telling stories or putting across emotions that might be difficult to say on screen in an interview or documentary. The group from Voice have done a great job of sharing their experience in a moving and engaging way to help adults learn from them.”

And out on the road...

Not only has Create been busy in Swindon, but through their state-of-the-art digital studio the Createmobile they have been out in Chippenham on the second leg of their Arts Council and South West Screen funded 4x4 tour.

Following on from the success of the first 4 x 4 venue at the Encounters film festival in Bristol, Create has teamed up with the Interactive Media Centre in Wiltshire and Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership to help another group of young people get their message to a wide audience.

The expert team from Create are using animation, photography and music production to bring to life the ideas and experiences of six young people from a new group, 2BME, who support young lesbian and gay people from rural areas. The five minute film they produce will help 2BME share the experience of their members and help bring in others who may need support.

Richard White from the Interactive Media Centre said, “Film and animation is a powerful way for young people to tell their stories and share their experience with others. We are really pleased to be part of the 4x4 tour and work with Create Studios to promote an understanding of the range and depth of media production work happening in the region.”

All 4 x 4 productions will be premiered to the public around the region later this summer.

January 2010

Minister of Culture visited Create

Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Culture, visited Create Studios recently and seemed amazed with what she discovered.

Create Manager Shahina Johnson explained, "Margaret came to find out about Create and our work with social inclusion.

"While she was here she spoke with a filmmaker and viewed a rough cut of a newly commissioned film celebrating arts activities in Swindon during the last year and the 5.1 increase in arts participation.

"She thought what we were achieving here was amazing, and she asked astute questions about whether we were reaching all those we should be.

"We talked about the CreateMobile and she realised that digital artists are increasingly necessary to reach young people and communities.

"We are so delighted Margaret visited us."

November 2009

International Festival Success for Swindon's Create Studios

Create Studios blazed a trail at the Encounters Short Film Festival at Bristol.

No less than three films made by Swindon young people, mentored by the Create team, were selected out of 1000s to be screened at the Watershed.

The films were:

• Prehistoric Petshop, a cutting-edge CGI animation made by Create's Media Academy; a group of young people who have graduated on from Create's weekend workshops. Create Studios Manager Shahina Johnson said, "It was great to see the members of our Media Academy enjoying recognition at Encounters, having built up amazing computer animation skills by working alongside animation professionals, James and Mark Carroll of Evil Twin Artworks."
• Rite of Passage, a short drama made by Create's young people's film group, YourFilm, has already won an award for Best Drama at the National First Light Awards. Sherylee Houssein learnt her skills as a Producer on the film and now works at Create to support other young people. Sherylee said, "The opportunities to learn production skills and share my experience at Create has been really important in helping to develop my career."
• Something About Me is a sensitive documentary, made by pupils from Crowdy's Hill Special School in Swindon, was supported by professional filmmaker Gurchetan Singh and the team at Create. The screening at the Watershed is the first public showing, and will be supported by Gurchetan and members of the film crew from Crowdys.

Thousands of festival goers saw the three Create Studios films at Bristol's Watershed, and there was more practical involvement through the re-launch of the fantastic mobile studio, the CreateMobile, being used by 60 young people to make films on the theme of Journeys.

Sporting Create's new branding and embarking on a regional tour funded by Arts Council England SW, and South West Screen, The CreateMobile is bringing Create's pioneering work with young people and communities at four events and festivals over the next sixmonths, kicking off with Encounters. The CreateMobile tour, entitled 4 x 4 will visit four locations across the South West and make film and animations to be premiered in Swindon and Bristol in Spring 2010.

Shahina added, "We are really proud that Swindon films and Swindon resources are leading the way at such a prominent festival such as Encounters: and this is just the beginning, with the  rest of the 4 x 4 tour to look forward to next year, the talent in Swindon, and the media resources we have in the unique CreateMobile, will continue to be showcased across the region."

November 2009

Films by Swindon's Young People on Big Screen for Interfaith Week

To mark national Interfaith Week, Create Studios arranged special screenings of four fantastic new films made by young people in Swindon; from animation to dance and drama. The films were made as part of a secondary schools project Face to Faith. They are about bringing people together and celebrating diversity in Swindon.

Around 50 young people from four Swindon secondary schools joined in taking a sensitive look at faith and belief earlier this year, working with Neighbourhood Engagement Officers and the team from Create. The culmination of six months of discussion, debate and dialogue, the Face to Faith film premiered to an invited audience of 100 at the Swindon Arts Centre in May.

To tie in with Interfaith Week, the unique films were seen for the first time by public audiences on the BBC Big Screen in Wharf Green, and at an exhibition in the foyer of the Civic Offices in Euclid Street. The students from Commonweal, Nova Hreod, Ridgeway and Kingsdown schools all leant filmmaking techniques working with the Create Studios who are part of Swindon Borough Council's Culture Swindon team.

Face to Faith was funded by the National Association of SACREs (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) and the film will go on to help inform how Religious Studies are taught in the future . Katalin Wood of Swindon Borough Council's Community Cohesion team led the workshops and discussions over a period of months, building a great relationship with the pupils from Kingsdown, Commonweal, Ridgeway and Nova Hreod Schools to the point they were ready to share their ideas and views working with filmmakers from Create Studios, part of the Culture Swindon team.

Katalin said, "Working with the young people was amazing - they were so articulate at sharing their views and ideas. We felt privileged to be part of it - they embraced the project and threw themselves into it. Not all of them had a faith and all had come for different reasons - but I learnt that discussion around Religion, Faith and Belief is a great platform for nurturing identity and developing thinking."

Shahina Johnson, Manager of Create Studios said, "Face to Faith has been a perfect example of Create Studios projects at their best; creating life-changing experiences for young people using media production, and helping them get their messages across to shape the world around them."

The Face to Faith film now be submuitted to young people's film festivals around the country, showcasing Swindon talent yet again!

October 2009

Nalgao

Create's team were out in force as artists-in-residence, at the recent National Conference of Nalgao (National Association for Local Authority Arts Officers). It was a fantastic three day conference with 200 delegates decending on Swindon to talk arts and culture, with fantastic feedback about the Swindon performances and screenings they attended.

Four young people, who are studying for their Creative and Media Diplomas at Advanced level, worked as part of the residency team alongside photographer Jason Moore and filmmaker Gurchetan Singh.

You can see their work on the Nalgao website (www.nalgao.org)

They young people learnt alot. One commented, "I learnt how fast you have to think and how much you have to take in in order to be good in this industry."

Another added that it was a great experience, especially "the opportunity to have a professional mentor."

September 2009

"Perfect 10": Create's award-winning Mobile Media celebrates 10 years of success

This month saw the culmination of 10 years of award-winning media projects delivered to the young people of Swindon by Mobile Media based at Create Studios.

Mobile Media, the Lottery funded outreach wing of Swindon's Create Studios marked 10 years of film, animation, photography and sound work taking the latest technology to 15,000 young people in schools, youth groups and community centres across Swindon and Wiltshire.

Funders, partners, and the professional digital artists who tutor productions, joined with participants past and present to celebrate the achievements of the Mobile Media team at a special screening at Create Studios' home in the Wyvern Theatre on Wednesday.

Mobile Media was launched in 1999 in a bid to make Create's fantastic media arts facilities accessible to more young people than ever in their own locations and communities. The revolution in media and IT equipment at that time meant that it was possible to take full filming and editing kits out on location quickly and easily: an impossible feat just a few years before.

Now almost at the end of its 4^th programme of work and 10 years and £500,000 of funding from Lottery, Trusts and Foundations secured for the area, Mobile Media looks forward to a place at the heart of Create's new phase of business planning. From Autumn 2010, education and digital media training for all Swindon's young people and communities will be a priority for Create - as a new logo for Create incorporating Mobile Media's familiar green identity showed when it was unveiled at the Perfect 10 screening event.

10 years of Mobile Media has seen young people bring back to Swindon 3 National First Light Awards, gaining media skills whilst working alongside professionals and the state of the art equipment and software Create and Mobile Media are able to offer. Ranging from documentaries telling the story of the opening of the new Isambard Community School, through to ghost stories with special effects and the latest CGI animations, Mobile Media productions have been a creative inspiration for audiences of all ages.

Shahina Johnson, Artistic Director of Mobile Media said, "Seeing young people gain confidence, and develop new skills through making engaging and exciting media productions has been a very rewarding experience. To serve Swindon over 10 years at Mobile Media has allowed our team to see students achieve elusive Film Production University places, leadership roles or even simply regain an enthusiasm for learning. We look forward to the next 10 years of creative productions from young people in Swindon - encouraging them to make something inspirational with all the new technologies available to them."

Marilyn Fitzgerald, Mobile Media Production Manager said, "I joined just after the initial launch event in 1999 and Mobile Media has been a major part of my life ever since. I love working with young people and it's been like the perfect job for me!"

September 2009

Sustainable Swindon: a partnership between Create, BBC Big Screen and Brunel Centre, ran a schools competition to hear ideas for a documentary on the theme of Sustainable Swindon.

Greendown Community School won the opportunity of working alongside a professional filmmaking team from Create to bring their ideas to life. They explored ideas around green spaces in urban areas and gained fantastic experience interviewing the public, developing an animated sequence and using professional equipment.

Student Joe Barnard said “Making Sustainable Swindon with Createt has been a great opportunity to widen my skills using professional recording equipment."

Jamie Vernon reflected, “I learnt so much about new technology that I now want to make another film.”

The premiere a the Big Screen at the end of September attracted interested crowds and generated additional comment and material which will go onto the final DVD.

New Media Academy premieres first project

Create Studios’ new Media Academy – set up for talented youngsters to continue developing their web, editing and animation skills – has just premiered its first film at the Empire Cinema in Greenbridge.

Seven students between 16-20 years old have been working with professional animators Evil Twin Artsworks to devise and make a three-minute animation. The witty tale about a prehistoric man and his pet was watched by around 100 people at the premiere and will now go on to be screened nationally on all BBC Big Screens.

This project, part funded by First Light, will be the first of many for the new Media Academy, which aims to give these young people their first taste of professional productions and commissions, as they continue learning how to work on ipod applications, computer generated images and Flash animation.

Create Manager Shahina Johnson said, "The Media Academy is for students who want a career in the business. They started on our Media Circus courses when they were eight or nine years old and have worked for years, developing their skills in animation and web work. Now they’re 16 or older this is an opportunity to increase their skillset, to help them get into college or university. With support from the Arts Council and professionals in Swindon the Media Academy will create opportunities for the students to work on live industry commissions.

“Prehistoric Pet-shop is the first of a number of collaborations in our Media Academy which combine all the equipment and resources at Create with the animation and special effects talent at Evil Twin Artworks."

Create Studios, a film and digital media organisation, is part of Swindon Borough Council’s Culture Swindon team. Create delivers a range of media activity for young people in the areas of education, outreach, training, and professional production using animation, film, photography, new media and audio technologies.

Swindon’s young people get behind the camera to bring communities together.

Film and Faith

July 2009

Thursday 7 July saw the premiere of a unique film made by around 50 young people from four Swindon secondary schools taking a sensitive look at faith and belief.

The culmination of six months of discussion, debate and dialogue, the Face to Faith film premiered to an invited audience of 100 at the Swindon Arts Centre. Face to Faith captures ideas around belief, belonging, tolerance and creating peace in 4 dynamic and challenging sections to the film. The students from Commonweal, Nova Hreod, Ridgeway and Kingsdown schools chose to use animation, drama, dance and art to express their ideas and create a lively, moving and colourful film

Face to Faith was funded by the National Association of SACREs (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) and the film will go on to help inform how Religious Studies are taught in the future . Katalin Wood of Swindon Borough Council’s Community Cohesion team led the workshops and discussions over a period of months, building a great relationship with the pupils from Kingsdown, Commonweal, Ridgeway and Nova Hreod Schools to the point they were ready to share their ideas and views working with filmmakers from Create Studios, part of the Culture Swindon team.

Katalin said, “Working with the young people was amazing - they were so articulate at sharing their views and ideas. We felt privileged to be part of it - they embraced the project and threw themselves into it. Not all of them had a faith and all had come for different reasons - but I learnt that discussion around Religion, Faith and Belief is a great platform for nurturing identity and developing thinking.”

Shahina Johnson, Manager of Create Studios said, “Face to Faith has been a perfect example of Create Studios projects at their best; creating life changing experiences for young people using media production, and helping them get their messages across to shape the world around them.”

The Face to Faith film will go on to be shown on BBC Big Screen and young people’s film festivals around the country.

Sustainable Swindon

June 2009

Through the Sustainable Swindon project, Create wanted to develop a real-life documentary experience for young people, with the fantastic opportunity of screening it on the BBC Big Screen, and getting instant feedback from shopppers at the Brunel Shopping Centre.

Shahina Johnson, Create Studios Manager, said, “We are delighted to continue our partnership with BBC Big Screen and Brunel Management who have enabled the winning students from Greendown School to work alongside a professional filmmaker to create a challenging and interesting documentary about a topic close to everyone’s hearts. Create is all about generating opportunities for tomorrows media makers to learn their craft, and Sustainable Swindon has been a great example. The students are rightly proud of their work!”

Award Winning Film

March 2009

Congratulations to YourFilm on winning the Best Thriller in the First Light Awards. Mobile Media have been mentoring the team of YourFilm - a group of young Swindon filmmakers - and we are thrilled that their film Rite of Passage won this presigious award.

The award ceremony took place in Leicester Square, London. YourFilm member Sherylee Houssein explained, "We really didn't expect to win because of the quality of the other films shortlisted, so when they announced our name we were completely shocked. We all went on stage to collect the award from Sienna Miller and Jason Isaacs. Jason said he was surprised we'd made the film ourselves, he thought we'd just written the script and professionals had filmed and produced it, he said was professionally shot and very smooth."

The film features a young girl who leaves home to join a female cult full of white dresses, chickens and satanic rituals. Her best friend betrays her and she is torn between her new life of freedom or going back to her brother.

Read the judges comments.

Youngsters invited to make a film

March 2009

Groups of 11-13 year olds are being asked to come up with an idea for a gripping 5-minute documentary on the theme of Sustainable Swindon - and the winning entry will be turned into a film, shown on the BBC Big Screen in the town centre. Find out more.

Congratulations on film award nomination

January 2009

Congratulations to YourFilm on being nominated for Best Thriller in the First Light film awards.

Mobile Media have been mentoring the team of YourFilm - a group of young Swindon filmmakers - and we are delighted that their film Rite of Passage has been recognised.

The award ceremony will take place in Leicester Square, London, on Tuesday 17 March 2009, hosted by T4's Miquita Oliver and Rick Edwards.

The shortlist of three nominated films was drawn up using an industry panel and youth jury. The winning film will be judged by a group of celebrity judges which will include: Daniel Craig, Joseph Fiennes, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Kate Beckinsale, Emilia Fox, Sienna Miller, Marc Forster, David Harewood, Freddie Highmore, Juliet Stevenson, Dakota Blue Richards, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Miller and many many more.

This is the fourth First Light nomination Mobile Media has received. Last year we won Best Documentary for The Child and Me, and in 2006 we won Best Thriller for Icehouse (made by the Boffin Club, which has now become Your Film).

Mobile Media Director Shahina Johnson says, "We are so proud of YourFilm and wish them all the best in March."

Sherylee Houssein, sound recordist and editor of Rite of Passage, said the film features a young girl who leaves home to join a female cult full of white dresses, chickens and satanic rituals. Her best friend betrays her and she is torn between her new life of freedom or going back to her brother. She added, "I'm so excited that we've nominated again. It was great fun to work on a night shoot and I can't wait for the award ceremony!"

YourFilm were mentored by Ideal Films on this project, using the same team who worked with the group on their award-winning Icehouse. Keith Phillips, Director of Ideal Films, said: 'It was a very demanding project, but as with all great challenges, the rewards are even sweeter. We are especially grateful to First Light, who were very patient with us through all our difficulties, and we are delighted they are so pleased with the final product."

November 2008

Energy Without the Sun

The winners of Frequency Airborne Battle of the Bands, Energy Without the Sun, recorded their first album Good Clean Dirt at Create Studios in November 2008.

Energy Without the Sun are a four-piece band from Chippenham. They won five days in Create Studios' state-of-the-art Sound Studio, working alongside top producer Barry Andrews (ex XTC), a Mac Book Pro & Logic Studio Software, courtesy of Western Computers. Mediaplant provided 1000 copies of the finished CD.

They competed against 40 other bands and two others in the final heat of the Battle of the Bands competition that was run by Frequency Magazine and Brunel FM. The band said, "We are delighted with the tracks we did with Barry at Create. It's been so good. We managed to get far more done than we thought and are now at the mixing stage."

Band members are Ali Hoff - Guitar & Vocals, Mark Henly - Bass & Vocals, Simon Garraway - Guitar & Vocals, Steve Jones - Drums.

They also secured a late sponsorship deal from Mark Pepperall Photography, in association with Hot Pepper Design Ltd, who are based at Create Studios, for a photo shoot and album cover design.

For bookings and hire rates contact Create Studios on 01793 465399.

November 2008

New grant

Hot on the heels of our success at the First Light Awards this year for Best Documentary, YourFilm, Create Studios’ young people's group, has received a grant of £5,000 to facilitate a collaboration between themselves - a group of aspiring young filmmakers - and group of autistic pupils from Crowdy’s Hill Community School.

Working alongside the 25 young people aged between 12 and 19 is Professional Film Director, Gurchetan Singh and Production Manager, Elise Hurcombe. They will help them create a documentary which will give an insight into how young people living with autism view the world.

2008

Creative and Media Diploma

Create are delighted to have been commissioned to deliver a range of exciting work related learning strands to tie in with the launch of the new Creative and Media Diploma for 14-19 year olds.

10 Swindon schools are piloting the Diploma from September, with around 100 young people signed up. Create will be at the heart of supporting the work with teachers and students, in addition to Create's regular workshops and activities for young people keen to learn more about animation, filmmaking and all things digital.

Creative Gateway

Work related learning strands for Swindon students on the 14-19 Creative and Media Diploma.

Create Studios is the Creative Gateway commissioned by the Swindon 14-19 Partnership to deliver an exciting range of subsidised work related learning opportunities open to schools delivering the Creative and Media Diploma.

All strands are subsidised by Swindon 14-19 Partnership and participating schools/students will be booked on a first come first served basis.