The Community TV Trust [CTVT] was set up in 1998, registering as a charity in 2000. It promotes the local use of media and new media. Self esteem and general personal empowerment come from participating in local media making. also aiding social inclusion, and cross-cultural understanding in communities. Where Ofcom used to call us 'citizen-consumers' and regulate Public Service Broadcasting (PSB), CTVT sees 'producers' and Public Service Media (PSM). Individuals, groups and schools are increasingly active. In south London they are participating in CTVT's unique, five-year old community media project, "Southwark.TV" [www.southwark.tv] (see below) - a CMS website where currently fifty schools and community organisations publish their own multimedia, receive basic support in IT, video and multimedia production, attend screenings, work on or participate in occasional TV productions. Thus CTVT is promoting media literacy, active citizenship and social cohesion ... it sounds too good to be true but it is all there.

Local radio has blossomed recently in Britain, but broadband too is on the move. So the next step for CTVT is the national rollout of the Southwark.TV model. Plans are under way, meetings have taken place with Ofcom who found some of the media produced through Southwark.TV to be 'inspiring', but Parliament is slow to endorse a meaningful community media fund to recognise the enormous latent potential in this field. We think five Government Departments could logically support such a programme. DCMS, DfES, DWP, DCLG, DH ...

"Southwark Template" :  WEB - EVENT - TV                          A tripartite template for community media has emerged in Southwark: beside WEB, the "Southwark.TV" website itself, there are EVENTS, from 2004 "Southwark.TV Screenings" and last year the inaugural Southwark.TV Festival of Film & Photography; in 2005 there was TV, as CTVT produced two series of SOUTHWARK HOUR, a local TV discussion programme featuring locally made films, broadcast on the Community Channel ... and now in 2008, to broaden our understanding of what TV might be, comes IPTV - internet protocal TV (see below).       So, it is the local experience of others 'consuming' your media that "truly links the media made with the life lived". This is beyond the mainstream.

With its media training and media creation CTVT is currently active in London and Cornwall, and is seeking funding to support work in Palestine. It also has links via YMCA to Yangon in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and via "Southwark.TV" connects with organisations in Brazil and Australia. In addition it e-publishes its occasional CTVT Newsletter and is preparing a Negative News Report focussing on the nature of mainstream news material and the balance of content. This latter project will be presented as a discussion paper to media owners and practitioners, to academia, to medical practitioners and politicians, both local and national.

Chris Haydon, director and managing trustee of Community TV Trust, is increasingly keen on spreading the practice of cross-community partnership. This supports small, single projects as much as it can facilitate large and open-ended ventures like "Southwark.TV". Opportunities to consult on new work overseas are welcomed.

CTVT was established by CHRIS HAYDON, an award-winning broadcast professional and director/managing Trustee of Community TV Trust. When not engaged with the Trust's activities and project development, Chris produces and directs videos and programming for tx, web and corporate markets.

Local & Relevant

For community and "dotTV" it is the local content of programming that is relevant not the size of the audience. Participation will enrich the individual's sense of engagement with her/his community and by extension with her/his own life. Locally targeted special-interest programming may also be facilitated (inc. lifelong learning and distance learning projects), which will clearly serve the schools, colleges and universities participating in the project.

AFFILIATIONS

Chris Haydon is affiliated to Community Media Association and Community Action Network and is pleased to be developing relations with the Community Channel once again. Chris also offers twenty years of experience as a freelance producer/director in broadcast TV and an impressive CV in corporate production.



PROJECTS

In summary, Community TV Trust has created links and productions in a variety of areas.


1. "SOUTHWARK.TV"
In February 2003 CTVT launched a unique open-access community media project across the London Borough of Southwark, which at the beginning of February 2008 marked its fifth birthday. Expansion from 9 pilot partners in early 2003 has brought more than fifty schools and community groups into active participation, with each partner building and maintaining their part of the site. Four overseas partners have signed up, coming from Bethlehem in Palestine's West Bank, from Yangon in Myanmar, from Belo Horizonte in Brazil and Sydney, Australia. In Spring 2003 a local cinema carried a 30-second Southwark.TV trailer blown up to 35mm;  screening & discussion events began in September 2004; throughout 2005 CTVT with great volunteer support made SOUTHWARK HOUR, a TV discussion series for and by local people, filmmakers and Southwark.TV partners. There were ten one-hour programmes in all.
www.southwark.tv


2. SOUTHWARK.TV on IPTV
In January 2008 Community TV Trust signed with Global Digital Broadcast to launch an IPTV platform. This new technology allowing broadband carried VoD onto your TV set will enable CTVT to offer more video and is likely to be the precursor of a new culture of TV channels. We'll all have one.

3. SOUTHWARK.TV FESTIVAL of Film & Photography
      9th-12th October 2006            Community TV Trust launched a new 4-day event in Southwark to coincide with World Mental Health Day this October. Four local mental health organisations received media training, made films etc. Screenings, talks and an exhibition followed ... the participating groups were Castle Arts, Cooltan Arts, Creative Routes and Mental Fight Club. 

4.  TACT Ltd.
Having produced a number of promotional videos and a half hour film for TACT, UK specialists in learning disability, CTVT visited Athens with Bob Rhodes, TACT former Chief Executive, with a view to developing hands on media training for users of TACT services in Greece.
Another international partner for "Southwark.TV" is possible too.

5. Somali Community Media Project
CTVT supports the Somali community in London with consultancy and via Southwark.TV, assisting individuals and small groups with project building. A Somali pupil is making a film about khat addiction and preparing campaigning literature. Two areas of Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland, have devoted former citizens seeking to raise funds and make a difference. Community TV Trust helps these campaigners where it can. SOUTHWARK HOUR devoted an edition to local Somalis and their experience of life here in the UK. Community Channel created repeats for this programme around the time of the 2005 G8, in particular due to the increased focus on Africa in the media. Links have been forged with a lively group of young Somalis at Lilian Baylis Technology School in Vauxhall, and the school in turn became a member of Southwark.TV website project for a few years. We aim to support SOCFIA, a Lambeth advice & information organisation, to deliver a media project for local young Somali people.

6. St.Ives/West Cornwall
CTVT has run media training in West Cornwall, in Penzance, Camborne and St.Ives funded by Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change. CTVT offers "St Ives.TV" [www.stives.tv] built exactly along the lines of "Southwark.TV" though on a smaller basis. New partners welcome. Email chris@stives.tv to find out more.



SINCERE THANKS are offered to Clive Davies of Olswang and to DJFreeman, now trading no more, who stepped forward and gave Community TV Trust many hours of pro bono legal support as it negotiated its way to incorporation and charitable status. Natasha Hobday, also a partner at Olswang, lends us her support as Clive Davies has moved on.
Those at DJ Freeman deserving mention are Clive Davies, Melanie Laithwaite, James MacIntyre-Brown. Support was given by many others to whom thanks are due and offered. Melanie also served tirelessly and enthusiastically as Trustee for a number of years.

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