"By making digital media more accessible to communities, ordinary people will be able to share their grassroots stories and views."
Website address: (for voluntary work) www.ultimateyouth.co.uk
Working with young people: research for a documentary about life in Swalwell
How did you get where you are now?
About four years ago I was doing voluntary work on projects such as photography, websites, and organising DJ workshops with young people. It was suggested I make a video with a group of young women I was working with, about young people and alcohol from their perspective. I really enjoyed the experience and offered similar opportunities to other young people. Through this work I met Olwyn Hocking, who offered to help us with four videos, and the advice and guidance I’ve received from her has led me to where I am now – being paid to produce community project videos.  Working with young people: research for a documentary about life in Swalwell
What’s your current project/work?
I’ve just finished work on a video promoting good parenting classes, and I’m setting up a young persons VJ project with two VJs who are part of DWN. The training and mentoring for this was provided by other DWN members, and we have just received funding for equipment to train other young women in VJ skills. I’m also developing the ‘Make it in Video’ day activities for community groups - they choose to do claymation or a live action piece and the soundtrack, in a day. I’m mentoring a colleague in the IT skills necessary to run an arts project, and I’m also about to go into post-production of two videos I shot at the World Social Forum in Caracas - one about the forum and the other about the role of workers in the revolution. Helping ‘Luna’ to make their short films based on Hopper’s Automat
Where has your work been showcased?
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Co-operative Young Film-makers Festival; Northern Lights Film Festival; GONE Youth Conference; Arts Council; Side Cinema; DWN network events; RTS Young Video makers Showcases; Gateshead Community Network Annual Event; Borders Film Festival; The Urban Forum National Conference; All Gateshead Secondary Schools (as part of the alcohol awareness programme); CVS Year of the Volunteer Conference; Discovery Museum People’s Gallery; Scotswood Area Strategy Reality TV Community Launch; Social Enterprise Northumberland Community Launch; Speakeasy Parents’ Event; various smaller community screenings across the North East.Julie filming at Tate ModernWhich organisations have been particularly helpful to you?
Northern Cultural Skills Partnership (NCSP), Northern Film & Media and DWN.
What advice would you give to women starting out in the digital environment?
Find a good mentor to help you develop your skills. The NCSP can help finance this, and provide free advice and guidance.
How do you see the future of the digital media industry?
As the industry grows and technology advances, the potential will be massive. By making digital media more accessible to communities, ordinary people will be able to share their grassroots stories and views.
Best piece of work-related advice you’ve been given?
Decide where your passions lie, your important values and the skills you most enjoy using, then work out which career path fits best with them and go for it!
Do you have a mentor, or someone whose work or attitude you admire?
Olwyn Hocking - she works tirelessly and enthusiastically and is a brilliantly creative producer. The mentoring and life coaching I’ve received from her has been invaluable in helping me to see how best to do things, where I want to go and how to get there.  Developing on the new VJ training workshops |
