‘Crossing Cultures: Dublin City Dialogues’ FOMACS/Office for Integration (OFI), Dublin City Council
Published: Thursday, March 10, 2011
March 15, Tuesday
Roundtable with ManiFesta: developing, producing and managing media projects with young people.
Media literacy: a luxury or necessity? How can youth media participation challenge barriers associated with social and educational advantage? How are young people adapting and using new media technologies? What forms of media literacy are being practiced by youth cultures that have migrated or are living in communities in which a wide range of cultures mix and cross-fertilise? How can media be used as a tool for young people to be the creators and producers of their own messages?
These are just some of the questions that this roundtable articulates to a selection of film and video projects developed by ManiFesta, before opening out into a broader conversation about cultural belonging and social justice, and the learning objectives of involving young people in participatory creative media projects from production through to curatorial phases.
ManiFesta develop, produce and manage projects - using predominantly film and video - to explore and comment on key contemporary social issues. Selected excerpts from three creative projects will serve to introduce their work to audiences here:
Belonging is a transnational based initiative in which young people from culturally mixed backgrounds - in London/Newham, Lisbon suburb/Casal da Boba and Paris/20th arrondissement - worked under the tutelage of creative video artists and filmmakers to produce 43 short films exploring various aspects of belonging - how layered migrations shape communities, and how young people manage multiple, flexible identities while belonging to more than one place.
In Video ART Postcards, assisted by video artists and historians, participants uncovered sites related to historical racism and anti-racism in the West India Docks area of London and used digital media to creatively express their interpretations of this history and heritage. At the end of the 5-day workshops, each young participant had produced a personal short video, or 'postcard', informed by their workshop learning.
In Breaking into the Museum, each young participant produced a short film that responded to a particular object in the Galleries of London collection. This media led project promotes innovative intervention in heritage curating as an exciting form of 21st century cultural activism and engagement, while the 14 films produced provide a slate of challenging statements from young people aged 16 to 19 and from a diversity of cultural backgrounds - reflecting how they connect with 'official' history and heritage, as well as how they experience museum collections.
ManiFesta was founded by Colin Prescod and Marion Vargaftig, who together have developed and produced UK and international initiatives with the BBC, the International Broadcasting Trust, Save the Children, Separated Children in Europe Network, Runnymede, The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and other NGOs in the field of youth, creativity, cultural diversity and anti-racism.
After a twenty year career as an academic, Colin joined the BBC in 1989 and is currently Chair of the Institute of Race Relations, London, (and is a member of the editorial working committee of the IRR's international journal, Race and Class); Chair of the Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art (ACAVA), London; and Chair of Carnival Village Ltd, London.
Marion Vargaftig is a leader/producer of European programmes and media projects, working at the interface of policy and practice. Her expertise is in developing projects associating media and culture as a catalyst for social change. She has a particular expertise in film and television - and has extensive international experience, initiating and delivering projects ranging from conferences, exhibitions, films, publications in many EU countries and beyond, and involving a variety of partners and funders.
Introduction: Áine O'Brien, Director of FOMACS
Presentation: Colin Prescod and Marion Vargaftig, Co-Directors of ManiFesta
Respondents: Niamh Geoghegan, Young Urban Arts, Programme Co-ordinator
Gráinne Lord, City of Dublin Youth Services Board, Arts Officer
Jennifer Siung, Chester Beatty Library, Head of Education
Itayi Viriri, Barnardos, Separated Children's Officer
Venue: Chester Beatty Library
Time: 11am - 3pm
Please note it is necessary to contact FOMACS in advance to register.
tel: (01) 402 3006, or email info.fomacs@dit.ie