Heavy Load website now live! - 22 February 2008
Visit the new website of Heavy Load, a feature documentary following a punk band including people with learning difficulties as they try to break into the mainstream. On the website you can meet the band, watch the trailer and much more.World Premiere of Heavy Load at the South By Southwest Film Festival in the United States (7-15 March 2008) - 5 February 2008
Heavy Load, directed by Jerry Rothwell, is a documentary feature about a punk band including people with learning difficulties. The documentary will be premiered at the 15th annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference & Festival in Austin. Click here to view the complete lineup of feature films slated to screen at the event, March 7-15, in Austin, TX. DigiTales Down Under - January 2008
Hi8us Projects has facilitated a DigiTales workshop in Australia, working with the community and arts organization ICE. The exchange was funded through the British Council.Click here to see a clip of the exchange (on Sydney Morning Herald website).
Inclusion Through Media Grande Finale at BFI Southbank great success - 27 November 2007
The Inclusion Through Media partnership started in 2004 and finished creative work in December 2007. More than 20 UK partners and eight European organisations worked with talented young people from different backgrounds, different parts of the country and different European countries to produce an enormous range of film, video and digital media work.
Hi8us Projects brought together all the partners for a final time on Friday 23rd November 2007 to celebrate, highlight and share the successful work and achievements of the past three years.
The Grande Finale at the prestigious BFI Southbank in London was packed with debates, showcases, presentations and performances. Click here to read more and to download transcripts of the panel discussions.
Click here to watch the video of the ITM Grande Finale
Hi8us and Goldsmiths, University of London announce release of Inclusion Through Media - the book - 13 November 2007
Inclusion Through Media gives an account of a £6.5M Europe-wide project working with marginalised people to represent themselves and their interests through digital media and goes on general release from 13 November.The book offers first-hand reports of the three-year Inclusion Through Media project, led by Hi8us Projects and funded by the European Social Fund (EQUAL), and examines some of the wider issues it raised – in particular the role of media and cultural industries in modern Britain.
Edited by Tony Dowmunt (Goldsmiths, University of London), Mark Dunford (Hi8us Projects) and Nicole van Hemert (Hi8us Projects), the publication also features views of leading figures on digital media and community empowerment, and suggests ways in which digital media can contribute to government policy on social inclusion.
Click here to read more.
John Newbigin speaker at ITM Grande Finale, Bfi Southbank, London - 23 October 2007
The Inclusion Through Media (ITM) partnership, led by Hi8us Projects started in 2004. More than 20 UK partners and eight Transnational partners have produced a vast range of innovative, creative film, video and digital media work made by talented young people from different backgrounds, different parts of the country and different European countries.
ITM has been an enormously successful partnership with impressive outcomes and achievements. With the programme coming to an end in December 2007, we would like to celebrate, highlight and share our best practice. Above all we want to showcase the successful and innovative work of our participants, with our participants.
On Friday 23rd November 2007, the ITM Grande Finale promises to be an exiting day packed with debates, screenings, presentations and performances from across our partnership. Click here for more information.
Trisha Goddard calls for 'real stories' when it comes to mental health - 11 October 2007
On Wednesday 10th October the Mental Health Media Awards took place at Bafta in London. The awards celebrated the best portrayals of mental distress and reporting of mental health issues in the media. Inclusion Through Media sponsored the Making a Difference Award for the third year in a row.
Broadcasters and journalists contribute to the way we understand mental distress and have the power to change hearts and minds. The best programmes and articles give us the real story about mental health, told by those who know. They shed light on the hidden, uncovering injustice and prejudice, and have an enormous impact on the people they reach.
The Mental Health Media Awards 2007 was hosted by Trisha Goddard. This year brought forward more examples than ever before, of print and broadcast which deserve to be rewarded for increasing understanding and respect. Click here for a full list of the winning entries for the 2007 Mental Health Media Awards.
Actress Victoire Milandu won award for best actress - 11 October 2007
Victoire Milandu, who plays Mamie in Almost Adult, scooped the award for best actress at the WienXtra film festival in Austria (1-6 October 2007) . Almost Adult, directed by Yousaf Ali Khan and produced by Sally Hibbin, is a subjective film about what it means to be frightened in an alien world: the audience will see our society through outsider’s eyes.
Seventeen year old Mamie has fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the hope of finding a safer life. She has lost her sister and doesn't know what has become of her parents. Passport less, Mamie finds herself being sent to Birmingham where she loses her papers and ends up on the streets.
Victoire Milandu as Mamie
Victoire was cast from a number of young female African refugees who attended a workshop for Almost Adult in Birmingham. This is her first film.
Click here for more information on Almost Adult.Hi8us Midlands and StripSearchers represented at San Diego Comic Convention - end July 2007
In late July, Hi8us Midlands will be jetting off to the San Diego Comic Convention. Not only is this the largest comic convention in the World, but they have been lucky enough to secure the services of Charlie Adlard "the best networking comics illustrator in the UK". Charlie will act as an international emissary, on behalf of Hi8us Midlands and the StripSearchers scheme. His task is to meet with mainstream and specialist editors, publishers, illustrators and related parties to promote the work of the scheme and it's artists. A brochure has been especially designed for the event to showcase the wealth of talent that the scheme has supported over the past 4 years.
Click here to download the brochure.
Creative Clusters 2007 open for registration - 4 July 2007
From 9-14 November the fifth International Conference on the Creative Economy will take place in various locations across London.
Book before 27 August to save £70 on the full delegate pass. To book your place go to www.creativeclusters.com or click here to download the flyer for more details.DigiTales Conference a great success - 1 July 2007
On 28 and 29 June Liverpool was not only flooded by rain, but also by filmmakers from across Europe!
More than 90 people visited the Digitales Conference on 29 June, at FACT, the Foundation for Art & Creative Technology. During the day, moderated by BBC reporter Polly Billington, lots of Digitales and related innovative film material were shown and various thought provoking discussions were held.
For the transnational partners and other European contacts, a group of 60 people in total, Hi8us Projects organised an exclusive pre-launch day on 28 June, in Liverpool. Together with Liverpool Culture Company, they planned regeneration walks and the ‘must-do’ duck tours. After dinner everybody gathered under umbrellas at Clayton Square for the grand finale at the BBC Big Screen, showcasing a selection of international DigiTales. These stories will be screened daily at the BBC Big Screen until 13 July 2007.
ArtPeeps goes live - 6 June 2007
Over the past 4 years Hi8us Midlands have been working with and supporting some of the freshest illustrative talent in the West Midlands (StripSearch, Boost, etc), so it was about time that they created somewhere for them to show off their work. Why not take a look at www.artpeeps.co.uk? If you are interested in including some of your work on the site or would like to know more about the artists or work that Hi8us Midlands is involved in please contact Jemima or Sarah on 0121 753 7700 or jemima@hi8us.co.uk
Click here to download the ArtPeeps flyer.
Hi8us Midlands at the Bristol Comic Convention - 12 May 2007
Saturday the 12th May 2007 saw the return of Bristol Comic Convention, the largest comic convention in the UK and Hi8us Midlands and it's StripSearchers were out in full force. The weekend is a tradition within the scheme, as a final grand thank-you for all the participants work and their first real taste of getting work in the industry. As well as an opportunity to mix with like minded folk and meet some of their idols, participants had their work reviewed by leading industry professionals. All of the participants have gained work through the convention, with some generating real interest from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle publishers and DC Comics.Call for Entries to the Mental Health Media 2007 Awards - May 2007
Have you been engrossed in a television programme, caught something on the radio, read an article in a magazine or newspaper that made a difference to your perception and understanding of mental health?
Please go to www.mhmawards.net/2007/getinvolved.html by Thursday 31st May and Mental health Media will approach the writer or broadcaster for entry to the Mental Health Media Awards 2007. You will automatically be entered into a free prize draw to win 2 tickets to this year’s ceremony on Wednesday October 10th at BAFTA.
Entries now open online at the Mental Health Media website until closing date on Friday 8th June.
Creative Clusters opens call for presentations - April 2007
The fifth annual Creative Clusters conference has put out a global ‘Call for Presentations’. The conference, in London for the first time, is the leading international event on policy for the creative economy, and on culture-led regeneration.
Creative Clusters is looking for speakers with up-to-the-minute insights from all parts of the UK and the world.
Please visit www.creativeclusters.com to read more on how to submit a proposal.
Click here for the press release.
Almost Adult wins Best Film Category at Creative East Awards - 22 March 2007
The Creative East Awards have been created to acknowledge and celebrate the wealth of creative talent across the Eastern region. Almost Adult was announced winner of Best Film Category during the Awards Evening at the Theatre Royal. Stoke-on-Trent's answer to the Oscars! - 24 March 2007
On Saturday 24th March the Projecting Stoke Film Awards took place in the Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent. During this buzzing afternoon the talent and hard work of people from the Meir and Tunstall communities who took part in the community film making project ‘Projecting Stoke’ were celebrated appropriately.
Click here to read more.
Inclusion Through Media supports the European Week of Media and Diversity - 19/25 March 2007
The annual European Week of Media and Diversity was launched in 2003 by Online, More Colour in the Media, to highlight the necessity of more diversity in the media and to start new and constructive dialogue between media professionals, NGO’s and minority audiences.The edition 2007 – Equal Opportunities for all, will take place from 19 to 25 March 2007. Click here to read more.
First Boost workshop a great success - 5 February 2007
The first Boost workshop, covering Finance, Business Planning & Sales and PR & Marketing, took place at the Orange Studios in Birmingham on the 5th February. It was a great success, with 39 existing and potential participants attending. The Boost scheme consists of business workshops, mentoring, networking events, industry placements and an office base, which will provide computers with broadband connection and a professional address. The aim of the scheme is to help the businesses develop their ideas to a point where they can successfully apply for funding and / or investment and recruitment. If you want more information, please contact Jo Dunlop.
L8R has won yet another award - Basel Triumph - 30 January 2007
Click here to read more.OUT OF THE BEDROOM - Stripsearchers exhibition - 22 Jan / 30 Mar 2007
From 22nd January until 30th March 2007 'OUT OF THE BEDROOM', a touring exhibition of some of the best established and new illustrative talent the West Midlands can offer, will take place.Click here for the press release, including exhibition venues and dates.
Click here for the flyer.
Click here for an article in Birmingham Mail, 26 January 2007
For further details contact Jemima Cattel (Telephone: 0121 753 7700)
Inclusion Through Media at Creative Clusters - 5-8 November 2006
Leading media commentators and producers explore the impact of new global distribution systems and the response of public service broadcasters.What is the role of the public service broadcaster in the 21st century? Do the public have the ‘right to communicate’? What is the role of media in contemporary democracies?
These issues will be debated during the panel discussion “Media democracy in the 21st century” on 7th November (4:00 – 5.30pm) facilitated by Inclusion Through Media at the Creative Clusters 2006 conference in Newcastle, Gateshead from 5 to 8 November.
L8R nominated for Bafta award - 3 November 2006
L8R, the interactive youth drama series on TV, DVD and web, has been nominated for the Children's BAFTA Award, in the 'Interactive' category. It is the second year running that L8r has been nominated for a BAFTA award.Robbie Williams inspires participants Projecting Stoke - 27 October 2006
Participants of the Projecting Stoke project are making what could possibly be Robbie William's next music video.Click here to read more.
