An Urban media Practice: documentation, agitation, participation

Mark Saunders lecturing on the Urban Practices course at UCL:

An Urban media Practice: documentation, agitation, participation

8th February 3pm in Room 114, 26 Bedford Way, Department of Geography, UCL

Drawing on 30 years experience of independent and community based media practice in London, Brussels and Rostock Mark Saunders will describe the political and technological development of Spectacle’s practice and use of media in urban struggles for social justice in the built environment.

This will include, Despite TV, an innovative video co-operative in East London (1981-94), Jako Co-operative and the making of The Truth Lies in Rostock (90-98) establishing resident video groups in gentrifying Brussels (2000-2009) and long term video workshops on “regenerated” estates Silwood in Rotherhithe (10 years) and Marsh Farm Luton (15 years) and recent work on the London Olympics and Battersea Power Station.

Key Readings:

Olympics

Olympic project pages

Olympic blog

Battersea Power Station

Battersea Power Station project

Battersea Power Station blog

Suggested further readings:

Surviving Participation Fatigue< Erased Social Geography

Video in the City: Possibilities for Transformation in the Urban Space

Advocacy, Participation and Non Governmental Organisations in planning : A report and video on Spectacle’s APaNGO work

Hammersmith and Fulham – About to Launch

You may have seen us filming already. Now we’re looking for White City residents to produce they’re own film about the area. Anyone interested in being involved will be taught to use our professional digital video equipment to create a film about the Olympic history, how White City’s changed since then and how it’ll continue to evolve in the future.

White City has transformed so much over the last century, this will be a great opportunity to be tell that story and pick up some useful skills and local knowledge along the way.

The first shoot date is Thursday 6th August, when we’ll be running an introduction at Pheonix School before going down to film the Street Athletics and hopefully get some interviews with Linford Christie, Andy Slaughter MP and those watching and taking part in the event.

If you can’t make the day but would like to be part of the project there will be more chances to film, research and get involved. To get details for the day or get in touch check the Well London Media Project

Participation in the Media: People with experience of Poverty

Spectacle has been commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to produce a DVD on Poverty and Participation in the Media. The DVD will be produced in Spectacle video workshop situations working with people with experience of poverty.

Media content will explore questions such as:
– How is UK poverty depicted in the media – TV, radio, press, online. What are good examples and what are not? Why?
– How would participants like to see their lives and situations depicted in the media? How could these be made into films and videos that will engage audiences?
– What are the stories about poverty that need to be told to a UK public that are not being told now? How could these be told engagingly? Why do these need to be told?
– How does it feel to share experiences of living on a low income to a journalist and/or on film?
– What might people worry about if asked to share their views on poverty in the media? How can their worries be reduced?
– What experience of new media do people have e.g. social networking sites, use of mobiles, blogging? What opportunities do these offer for telling the stories of life on a low income in the UK? Who would these reach?

If you are interested to participate in the workshops please use the Spectacle contact form or leave a comment here.

Co-Author this blog?

If you want to contribute to this blog on the subject of Poverty and the Media please contact Spectacle and we will register you as an editor or leave a comment.