Category: Features

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.

 

“BELT, BRACES & DISABILITY 2”

A strong documentary telling the stories of three disabled adults and following on from their first film in 2010, “BELT, BRACES & DISABILITY 2” updates the lives of Dan, Rachel and Troy. Time has not been friendly to all of them but their resilience and character shines through.

Especially pleasing about this production was that Troy edited his section of the film and selected all the music tracks, and both Dan and Rachel produced their sections of the film.

MENders in Peckham

CTVT is producing short videos for Peckham Settlement, funders of community focused initiatives and organisations in Peckham SE15.

Here is a look at the ‘shed’ world of older men and their creativity, based in Peckham’s old library building. Meet “MENders”:

The venture is full of characters and character. Meet Francis, Dennis, Nico and others who express themselves in practical projects and amiable sharing all under the guidance of the vastly experienced Axel. Well done to Age UK Lewisham & Southwark who run the scheme. The ‘shed’ is oopen on Fridays and Saturdays at 122 Peckham Hill Street SE15.

This short film is the first of many more to come as Peckham Settlement aims to increase awareness of its desires to support local ventures with modest grants. This means Community TV Trust will be busy in production, publishing the video stories both here and on other websites.

Community Media Forum Europe

Community TV Trust is now an organisational member of CMFE and is participating in their first conference being held in Cyprus. A plenary session on Day One featured a panel on community media and the Arab Spring with speakers from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya (by Skype from Benghazi), Syria, Jordan. An inspiring discussion with examples of citizen journalism and social media that left one examining what community media might be. Limitless appears to be one answer.

Day Two brought Cyprus itself to the fore, an island still divided into Greek and Turkish halves, though checkpoints are now open. Nonetheless local mainstream media apparently resorts to the rhetoric of division and of ‘them & us’. By contrast one media making project had brought together children from the two sides who jointly made short animation films with the help of translators and facilitators. The illustrations of process were heartening given the normal landscape of division we had had described.

Delegates have reported on projects from countries including Cyprus, South America, USA, Bosnia, France, Austria and UK; in addition to tales of the Arab Spring, stories embraced digital storytelling, animation, television operating outside regulation in Bolivia, DAB+ linking communities in West France, academic research proposing a bi-lingual radio station uniting Cyprus (albeit the issue of juggling two languages had not been resolved) …

CMFE currently has:   *90* members from *23 *European countries: *39* Individual Members and *51* Organizational Members, of which *25* are (National) Federations. Among its affiliate members it counts also individuals and organisations from Africa, Asia and North America.