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Young people across the North East are being given the chance to get involved in hands-on media projects thanks to a new £6m national youth fund....
Mediabox offers disadvantaged 13 to 19 year olds the opportunity to develop and produce creative media projects, using film, television, print, radio or online platforms.
Funded by the Department for Education and Skills, Mediabox is being run by a consortium led by First Light Movies, in partnership with Media Trust, Skillset and the UK Film Council.
Northern Film & Media has appointed Sam Potter as the North East Mediabox co-ordinator. Working 2.5 days a week, Sam will be available to offer advice and guidance on Mediabox funding.
‘Mediabox aims to encourage young people to tell their stories at a time when much of the media is focussed on telling what is wrong with young people,’ says Sam.
‘This scheme will help young people develop a positive voice in the media by encouraging them to gain new skills; boost their personal development and give them a voice to talk to decisionmakers about life in their communities and their hopes for the future.’
The fund offers three different types of grants ranging from £100 to £80,000, to create and distribute youth-led media projects that express young people’s ideas and views in a creative way.
One type of grant, My Mediabox, is specifically designed to encourage young people to apply directly, using a very simple application process which can be sent in at any time.
The other two grants, Mid Mediabox and Big Mediabox, are slightly more detailed but are targetted at youth or media organisations working with young as opposed to individuals.
Turnaround time should be two weeks for the smaller grants and six to eight weeks for the larger ones.
According to Sam, projects funded by Mediabox should have a strong community focus.
’We want people to use the funding to talk about their communities and express their opinions. It’s not a condition of getting a grant but we would like that to be a theme running through the projects.
‘I’m really looking forward to seeing lots of applications from young people in our region, ‘ says Sam. ‘These grants could provide an opportunity for some really talented individuals who may not have the formal qualifications that would traditionally get you into a web, film or TV company.’
If you're applying for a Mid Mediabox or Big Mediabox grant make sure you are able to meet the delivery deadlines, which are staggered throughout 2007.
To find out more about Mediabox funding opportunities, deadlines and how to apply, visit the Mediabox website, www.media-box.co.uk or contact Sam Potter, Mediabox Co-ordinator for the North East of England by e-mailing
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