media education

Just over a month ago I attended the funeral of a 24 year old young man who tragically took his own life. His death and its circumstances shook the whole community, especially his peers.  12 years ago I was teaching him how to edit – me working as a facilitator on a community media project, working with colleagues I still work with today.  About 5 years after that he worked as a music producer on another community media project we were running.  We managed to bring him in to be involved after realizing he was ‘not around much’ lately.... read more »

ABSTRACT

BEYOND PROJECT: An Ethnographic Study in Community Media
by Shawn Naphtali Sobers... read more »

Since 2004, whenever I have given a paper at a conference about community media I have shown a table on powerpoint, (see the first table below).  I would go on to explain how this table informed my definition of the sector – which is according to the main areas of emphasis of activity by practitioners.

 My description and definition of community media states that the channels of activity are according to the main motivation of the action, ranging from;... read more »

Here are details of a Graduate certificate course I helped to write at the University of the West of England, which is aimed at people working in community arts & media.

There are three modules, with a wide range of tutors each module;

- Participatory Arts: Practice & Context
Looks at the history of community arts & media, influential theories (e.g. Paulo Freire’s dialogic pedagogy), informal education theories, government influence and evaulation models.... read more »

Last night I went to an interesting seminar at the Watershed Media Centre called ‘Cultural Learning: Young people – schools – creative industries’.  It was all about the year-long relationship the Watershed have built up with Fairfield High School, which has seen film & TV professionals working in the school, and the students taking part in projects. ... read more »

A popular debate in community arts & media is based on the dichotomy and tensions inherent within the notions of process and product, and which state to value the most, and what ethics and emphasis are placed on each.  The liberal position (or more accurately, the centrist conservative position), is to compromise and value both elements in equal measure, which demonstrates a project that healthy in both regards.  The radicals on either wing denote the quality of process as protection of the safe environment for the participants, or the necessity of the product to instil a pride that process alone can never deliver.  ... read more »