Community TV Trust – BEYOND THE MAINSTREAM

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CTVT closes the door

NEWS: After 25 years as a charity and more than 22 years producing and facilitating the production of short films, videos, local screenings, educational DVDs on subjects such as Healthy Eating, Islam in Southwark, knife crime, plus full-length documentaries, two local media festivals, a ten-part series of TV programmes for a cable channel, and most recently a podcast series, the Board of Community TV Trust has decided to close the book on its wonderful time engaging with the peoples, young and old, of Southwark and south London. This became effective from 1st September 2025.

Southwark.TV was our breakthrough project in 2003 and as a well-funded, borough-wide web-based project, pre-Facebook and -YouTube, was ground breaking. Partner groups and schools had their own space under their own password, received media training and unlimited support. This came free to the community. To visit this archived site, look lower down on the Home Page.

LET’S TALK Knife Crime was a four-year project, 2019-2022, designed to listen to young people in schools and youth clubs. Covid meant a change of direction early in the second year but led to other great things, such as “CHANGE of THOUGHT”, a documentary about three local boys who narrowly avoided permanent exclusion and began to make their way in the world.

The PECKHAM PODCAST channel with all editions, a few trailers and one or two extras is on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PECKHAMPODCAST-r2f

As of 21 May 2025 the charity’s final podcast, with Lord Biggar CBE, became available. His book “Colonialism – A Moral Reckoning” made an impact, some of it negative for him. Biggar, Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral & Pastoral Theology at Oxford University has become a champion of free speech in universities as well as in life in general. He sits in the House of Lords on the Conservative benches.

Cllr Naima Ali, recent Mayor of Southwark, is a warm, courageous woman and shows there is a way to make multiculturalism work.

Louise Dickinson of Alchemise Theatre showed “The Power of Daring to Hope” as she described her journey back from Long Covid, bed-ridden, wheelchair bound, learning to walk again … you name it. A young woman of courage and character. Here is Louise.

Jo Berry of Building Bridges for Peace is a remarkable campaigner and has been for decades, following the IRA’s bombing of a hotel in Brighton in 1984. Here is the link to Jo on PECKHAM PODCAST in March 2025:

Meanwhile here are some of the PECKHAM PODCAST 2024 stories –

Nick Dunne is a man of Faith and determination who became a pilgrim. You’d need that if you’re going to walk to Italy! There’s a marked trend towards this form of undertaking, in contrast to falling church attendance.

The edition released on 11th December with guest Charlotte Prendergast:

Charlotte Prendergast is CEO of Southside Young Leaders Academy in Peckham. Its focus is solely on Black boys who under-achieve in local schools. “What a wonderful discussion about how a different school curriculum could change the world.” (James of Peckham)

Michelle Baharier FRSA is an artist and campaigner for mental health and disability rights. She lives in south London, used to run CoolTan Arts and is our latest guest on PECKHAM PODCAST, tackling dyslexia and the Assisted Dying Bill, among other things.

Wallee & Errol This edition of PECKHAM PODCAST is lots of fun, has film clips(!) and features two guests – Errol McGlashan, ex-offender turned poet and performer, and Wallee McDonnell, Artistic Director of Celebrate Life and producer of “POWER to CHANGE”, a film in which both men feature. Episode link.

Stephen Bourne is PECKHAM PODCAST’s sixth guest, a Black British History writer for Black History Month:

Not taught history at school, no agent, & still published (not self published) more than 20 books

PECKHAM PODCAST offered as its fifth edition – Ben Sturge, a businessman and entrepreneur, a deep thinking man who rebuilt life after time in prison. He has a lot to give.

Ben can be viewed here:

Probably PECKHAM PODCAST’s most unusual guest to date is Fernando Carrillo, Peckham’s newest vicar. He was born in a Miami prison and ordained in St Paul’s Cathedral! Joining the breadcrumbs is amazing.

Fernando Carrillo

Community TV Trust [CTVT] was incorporated 25 years ago and offers media training & filmmaking in schools and PRUs and in workshops for the disabled and marginalised. Engaging young people in open-ended creative work, links Community to Education.

In addition we produce documentary films, in the past educational DVDs and a large web-based local media venture called “Southwark.TV”.

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Southwark.TV Report available for download

“An open-minded, fun and accessible community ‘TV’ service, run as a forum for debate, the supply of information and promotion of local initiatives, talent and needs, has a vital role to play in multi-cultural, multi-faith C21st century Britain. Digital/cable TV and new media will be playing their part in urban regeneration and social cohesion.”

Community TV Trust from its launch in 1999 sought ways to innovative in community media. How might engagement be achieved?

Southwark.TV – a ‘horizontal’ community project – ran from a pilot in early 2003 to 2014 when the site was archived. You can find it under the CTVT Projects menu or click HERE to read it. Once you have read the report you can also browse the Southwark.TV website from HERE

It foresaw the rise of social media and online activity, shifting away from mainstream media to portable/mobile devices and citizen journalism.

Southwark.TV Festival of Film & Local Media 2024_What Was On

organised by Community TV Trust with Elevated Minds CIC & Michelle Baharier FRSA

12-16 February 2024

for young + old alike … Southwark films & videos … celebrated 20 years of local people speaking out

FESTIVAL THEMES:

YOUTH | MENTAL HEALTH | COMMUNITY | FILM & LOCAL MEDIA

Monday 12 Feb: 6-8pm LAUNCH Film “from Local to Social” [cert 12A, 2023] Q+A followed VENUE: Peckhamplex cinema, 95A Rye Lane SE15 4ST.

Southwark from 2003

Tuesday 13 Feb: 11-2pm ASPIRATION: 3 x 60mins* [recorded for podcast, see below] Three approaches to stimulating purpose and self belief in life, with Stephen Akinsanya, Rachel Duncan and others. These events were aimed especially at young people. Presented by Festival partner Elevated Minds CIC.

Tuesday 13 Feb: 12.30-2.30pm LARGACTYL SHUFFLE was led by Festival partner, Michelle Baharier FRSA who reflects on the housing and some of the famous who pass through. It came in a long tradition of Southwark Walks that for mental health sufferers symbolised their journey towards wellbeing and were social too. VENUE for the start: Theatre Peckham

Michelle Baharier muses on the Southwark she passes through

Tuesday 13 Feb: 3-5pm Two creative interventions Taking Control with key life skills: first was Peer Mediation with Mel Bruce of Calm Mediation:

Peer mediators from Bacon’s College

This was followed by entrepreneur George Osei-Oppong Junior with a presentation on Financial Education. These represent two creative interventions in young lives.

Wed 14 Feb: 11.30-12.30pm “Why the change, be the change!” Bias comes in many forms: how do we deal with it? Stephen Bourne, the local author of Black British History, joined Doreen Sinclair-McCollin and others. An Elevated Minds event.

Stephen Bourne, British Black History author

Wed 14 Feb: 2pm-3.30pm Community & f/Faith* [event recorded for podcast] “In a multicultural society does belief have a role?” A round table discussion with some of Southwark’s leading thinkers was recorded for podcasting. Guests included former Mayor Althea Smith, current local top cop DCS Adjei-Addoh, legendary community activist Eileen Conn (Peckham Vision), two young people from Elevated Minds, retired judge Marcia Levy, former director of Bede House Nick Dunne, and long serving local police officer Nsikan Etuk from Southwark’s Faith & Engagement team.

Thurs 15 Feb: 10-11.30am Short films for Year 4-6 A mixed bag of funny and challenging films made by young people over the years from 2003.

Films from young and old

Mystery and conflict resolution

Thurs 15 Feb: 2-4pm Mental Health Forum* Organised by long time campaigner for Mental Health rights, Michelle Baharier FRSA with guests Dolly Sen and Kym Winstanley. Michelle hung her work at the venue, Theatre Peckham for the Festival and a further three weeks afterwards.

Michelle’s presentation led off

From Bonkersfest to Theatre Peckham

Kym talks and sings at Theatre Peckham (audio only)

Thurs 15 Feb: 4-6pm Violence & Mental Health* With special guest Jonathan Asser about whose therapeutic theory of Shame linking to Violence a film was made in 2013. Asser worked with inmates for 10 years at HMP Wandsworth with positive results but the work was stopped. With Asser on the Q+A panel after a screening of the film were former SVI group member Tola Gisanrin, co-founder and Head of Authenticity at Black Elephant, a social network based on vulnerability, and Andrew Nielsen of Howard League for Penal Reform.

Intro – Screening of SVI film – Discussion/Q+A

Friday 16 Feb: 6-9pm SOUTHWARK’S GOT TALENT 2024 Closing the Festival week with style and decibels was a talent show for local people with serious aspirations in the performing arts. Event organised by Elevated Minds CIC.

Song, roller skate and hoola hoop

All events were free.

Community TV Trust in partnership with

ELEVATED MINDS CIC

and Michelle Baharier FRSA

BBD3 film

“Belt, Braces & Disability 3”

This film, produced by Troy, Rachel and Daniel, was two years in the making, partly due to the pandemic. It features three remarkable people each of whom has shown that disability can be an inspiring sphere of human life just as it can be difficult, bullied and disadvantaged. Lisa says,

“It’s shocking the standards that disabled people have to put up with and in this day and age, but to be honest it wasn’t that surprising to me, as someone who cares for a person with a disability. I loved the film’s life affirming message.”

One participant, Ralph, said: “it’s a shame we have to fight so hard to get our voices heard.”

It is the third in the “Belt, Braces & Disability” series dating back to 2010&2017. All three largely autobiographical films were directed by Chris Haydon.

This film features

former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
campaigning Baroness Jane Campbell, a legendary fighter for disability rights … both sit in the House of Lords on the Cross Benches
former bank manager Mike Newman who was born blind, became a bank manager and now runs a charity for disabled people to try their hand at driving a racing car on a racetrack. He set world land and water speed records in excess of 200mph and 100mph respectively.

It launched on World Disability Day Saturday 3 December 2022.

BROOKWOOD: The Living and The Dead

CTVT’s documentary, produced with Ole Jensen who brought the recent Millwall FC film project, explores the world of minority burial grounds and Victorian foundations of today’s multicultural Britain.

There are powerful stories in this film of migration, sometimes over centuries, of refugees fleeing war, of economic migrants who find they have put down roots and stay, of community, of respect and love.

EMILY WILDING DAVISON

In the second half of 2021 we produced a film about a sculpture project created in Epsom, Surrey. It was to commemorate the suffragette famous for having died under the hooves of the King’s horse in the 1913 Epsom Derby. This was not the full story of a brave and committed campaigner who played a role in changing British society. The sculptor is Christine Charlesworth. Her work now sits in Epsom Town Centre and is greatly enjoyed.

LET’S TALK filmed a Musical and a Drama

LET’S TALK filmed is scenes from a musical written, composed and performed by students at Harris Academy Peckham. The script came from real life and the murder of a former pupil in south London when he tried to intervene in a fight.

This formed part of the film screening in autumn 2019 of schools and youth clubs in Southwark.

Filming also took place of “One Road, Two Paths“, a powerful drama by local company Movement Factory, a Peckham-based dance group for 11-19 year olds. Five dancers from the company attended the final LET’S TALK Forum at HAP and performed extracts from their production. Here’s the film:

Filmed & edited by CTVT

CTVT grown up!

Community TV Trust is in its twenties and is doing what it set out to do – supporting people and telling stories. Currently we are planning the celebratory Festival of Film & Local Media in February 2024. A year ago we were wrapping up our 4-year knife crime project LET’S TALK which has its own website: letstalkknifecrime.org but has examples of work on this site.

Pictured above, a media group shooting an interview at Freewheelers Theatre & Media Company in Leatherhead, Surrey.