Go Furness

Digital [Re]Generation Showcase

THREE projects made by Furness teenagers will premiere at a special event at Forum 28 next week.

The Digital [Re]Generation Showcase event celebrates the completion of a six-month long creative media project funded by the national Mix Mediabox scheme which aims to train disadvantaged 13 to 19 year-olds in media production skills.

Over 30 young people participated in the project – producing two short films and a photography exhibition. Throughout the scheme they received support from professional filmmakers Signal Films and visiting trainers from all over the UK. All 3 projects focused on issues surrounding youth identity, the interests of young people and issues that affect them – with 3 very different outcomes produced.

Project Manager Kate Marshall said:

“Members of the public, family and friends are all welcome to come along to see these exciting new projects for the first time.

“The most impressive thing about this project is that it was all done outside school time, with all these young people committing their free time to producing really high quality work.

As well as going through the process of coming up with original ideas, shooting and editing their projects, the photography participants have designed their own dynamic website where, following on from the showcase event, you can view each of their portfolios and the finished films at www.digitalregeneration.co.uk.

Everyone is welcome to attend this celebratory event free of charge – anyone who’d like to come along should email kate.signal@gmail.com or call on 01229 839983.

More details of the film projects

Film One – I am Barrow
I am Barrow was the first film made through ‘Digital [ReGeneration]’, the Mix Mediabox project run by Signal Films. Young people from Barrow took part in creating and producing a documentary inspired by a recent ‘Orange’ mobile phone advert which aims to dispel the common perception of Barrow as a down and out town. The project was led by Yorkshire film director June Gersten Roberts and is billed as ‘a poetic, personal and quirky patchwork quilt of images and audio which paints an intimate portrait of a misunderstood town, seen through the eyes of local young people.”

Film Two – Outside These Walls
The second film project of Digital [Re]Generation involved young people from the Barrow and Furness area who might sometimes be labelled as ‘anti-establishment’ or a ‘social nuisance’ by their community. For example, young people who truant, have been excluded from school or are at risk of being excluded or are often in trouble with the police.

Led by professional director Karen Bird, the aim of this project was to look at local perceptions of young people and try to help their community understand them better – and vice-versa. The film includes a ‘donk’ song, the latest music trend for young people, which the group wrote and produced to express their feelings about judgements and false perceptions of themselves and their peers.


‘My Place in the World’ Photography Project
For the third and final project participants took part in workshops led by professional London-based tutor, John Carroll. They gained an insight into what makes a good photograph and learnt new technical skills, which they then put into practice by taking stills on location around the Furness area.

Through specialist Photoshop and web design sessions, each participant has created a portfolio of stills which will be exhibited both at the showcase event and as part of the Digital [Re]Generation website.

Posted by Phil Powell on 13th March 2009