Inclusion Through Media at Goldsmiths
Inclusion Through Media (ITM) is a programme of projects across the UK which use audio-visual media to engage young people and excluded individuals and communities. It focuses on projects that bring the target groups together with media professionals to produce high-quality products for maximum impact. ITM projects stress innovative methods and participatory approaches.
Goldsmiths is leading on four Inclusion Through Media projects:
Converge
One of ITM's objectives is using ICT for the production and distribution of learning materials and products developed by partners and target groups. Converge is a programme to enable young people to showcase their work on the web. Adnan Hadzi of Deptford.tv is working with Goldsmiths to produce a handbook and workshop programme to enable young people to fully utilise both existing offers and build their own open source software based sites. These will be piloted with Hi8us partipatory youth media projects across the UK.
Project leader: Rebecca Maguire, e-mail r.maguire (@gold.ac.uk), Business Development Office
Partner: Hi8us Projects, Hi8us South, Hi8us Midlands, Hi8us North, CIDA
The Inclusion Through Media Publication
A book about the themes explored in Inclusion Through Media, to be published in Autumn 2007.
Project leader: Tony Dowmunt, e-mail t.dowmunt (@gold.ac.uk), Department of Media and Communications
Partner: Hi8us Projects
Beyond the Numbers Game
Research project looking at the efficacy of existing performance measures for participatory media work and developing an alternative approach to making the case for the value of creativity in general, and participatory media in particular, as a tool for engagement and social inclusion, especially with young people. The Centre for Urban and Community Research (CUCR) is developing an evaluation toolkit for Inclusion Through Media, working with Hi8us Midlands on an interactive on-line version. The project sits within CUCR's research programme in the visual cultures of contemporary urbanism, and our track record of high-quality innovative evaluation work. See our Beyond the Numbers Game Page for more information.
Project leader: Ben Gidley, e-mail b.gidley (@gold.ac.uk), CUCR
Partners: Hi8us Projects, Hi8us Projects limited, Hi8us Midlands.
MA Module on Digital Media for Social Change
Goldsmiths has collaborated with Hi8us South to deliver a groundbreaking postgraduate module 'Digital Media for Social Change' module as part of the MA in Participatory and Community Arts.
The module is based at PACE, Goldsmiths' department of Professional and Community Education, which offers a range of flexible modular courses from pre-foundation to PhD level, in Youth Work, Performing Arts, Social and Cultural Studies and Community Arts.
The module introduces the students to digital community production across a number of digital media in a variety of social/community settings, using participatory and collaborative techniques. Through the process of planning, undertaking and evaluating a brief project the students are encouraged to become 'reflective practitioners' by relating their practical work to the histories and current theories of alternative, participatory and radical media.
Module elements include: seminars, technical workshops, exercises, and directed reading; access to shooting, editing and computer facilities with appropriate software packages; visiting speakers/workshop leaders from relevant professional fields; supervision in the field during the project. Assessment is by a brief practical digital media project, which the students plan, undertake and evaluate, plus a 1,500-2,000 written analysis.
Project leader: Andy Porter, e-mail a.porter (@gold.ac.uk), Professional and Community Education
Partner: Hi8us South
ITM is part of a community programme called Equal - a European Social Fund initiative which tests and promotes new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market. The GB Equal Support Unit is managed by ECOTEC.