Media4ME in Milton Keynes, Media4ME Conference, Utrecht, 21 Feb 2013
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Media4ME in Milton Keynes – “How mobilising a web of connections enabled local people to use media projects to help their community…”
description
The Media4ME project in Milton Keynes, England, began in January 2011 as part of a six-nation EU programme co-ordinated by Mira Media to increase inter-cultural dialogue through the use of community media. The project was led by staff from two UK-based NGOs, the National Association for Neighbourhood Management, and Socialreporters. Over 24 months, the project leaders used asset-based community development approaches to support existing community and media-related activities in the Fishermead neighbourhood of Milton Keynes - an area with high levels of ethnic diversity, population mobility and ‘churn’.
Transcript of Media4ME in Milton Keynes, Media4ME Conference, Utrecht, 21 Feb 2013
Media4ME in Milton Keynes – “How mobilising a web of connections enabled local
people to use media projects to help their community…”
Media4ME – What DID we learn?• Instead of convincing people to help us make our ideas real,
look for other people’s ideas
• Spend time talking and listening out for the names of individuals who had passions we could support
• If no-one is interested – just move on
• Be useful to public agencies and they will be useful to us
• Create opportunities for politicians to solve the problems they identify - “there is a lot going on but it is not connected”
• If you loan someone a camera for a project, they take photos for the project; they feel a sense of obligation
• Be patient, and adapt
• It is hard to leave one big sustainable project behind, but you can leave a bigger web of connections
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
First…
…we used existing relationships to get permission to run the project in Fishermead, Milton Keynes
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Summer 2011
First meeting held in the Melting Pot Café, part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church
Ten people turn up
“There is a lot going on but it is not connected”
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Autumn 2011
All Media4ME project leads come to UK, to Fishermead, and meet members of the community who have got involved…
Media4ME – So what DID happen?Winter 2011…
Mike Johnson then invited to the Media4ME training/project meeting in the Hague… which enables him to understand the project better
Media4ME – So what DID happen?We return to the UK and hold a second community meeting.
We use a “media game” to begin thinking about the web of personal connections in Fishermead…
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Winter 2011…
At the same meeting we also meet Nana Oguntola for the first time - a film-maker and local Parish Councillor. We agree to lend her some video cameras…
In return she agrees to help other local people make video diaries
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Spring 2012…
We also start lending cameras
The manager of the community centre uses one to document the upgrade of his community centre garden
Media4ME – So what DID happen?Another Parish Councillor starts taking photos of parts of the neighbourhood where rubbish has been dumped
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Summer 2012A lot of activity comes together. Nana has begun producing interviews with people about the local environment and also turns the photos into a YouTube video
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
…which attracts the attention of the local newspapers
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Soon afterwards Nana uploads the first video-diary - made by an elderly man living in an old people’s home who films his fellow residents….
Media4ME – So what DID happen?
We also take some photos ourselves –trying to capture positive images of Fishermead
Media4ME – So what DID happen?www.ilovefishermead.co.uk is then set up – it is created by all the Fishermead Parish Councillors together to highlight the theme of “local pride”
Media4ME – So what DID happen?www.ilovefishermead.co.uk idea turns into the first Fishermead “Be Proud” conference
Media4ME – So what DID happen?Autumn 2012… The final countdown!
Mike Johnson - “if anyone wants to make a radio show then just let me know – I will provide the studio equipment and the airtime in our schedule”…
But no-one had taken up the offer. Until we came across Shola Omogbehin and official with the Council’s Education Department
Media4ME – So what DID happen?We start by planning a very conventional radio interview made in the studio. But we end up with…
Media4ME – So what DID happen?We start by planning a very conventional radio interview made in the studio. But we end up with…
Media4ME – So what DID (will) happen?
The programmes were recorded in November and December…
After the second show Shola started thinking how he might tell the story to people outside of Milton Keynes.
So he asked three college students if they would make a short film, and Media4ME paid for training to be provided by Nana.
As the project approached the end – we celebrated the achievements with a community media event – radio, video diaries, the website, and also brought the map alive…
From this
Media4ME – So what DID (will) happen?
To this!
– So what DID (will) happen?
Thank you
www.neighbourhoodmanagement.net
@benymlee
http://www.facebook.com/Media4MeMiltonKeynes
