Director & Development Team Member, Media Education
In last year’s Community Justice Glasgow Annual Reporter (2019-20), Margaret Smith, the Policy & Planning Officer updated you on the joint work between Community Justice Glasgow and Media Education in the article ‘The Ripple Effect – Where the Past Meets the Present’. The article is as relevant today as it was when it was published and the films presented within the article are still available to watch for context on how this work fits into meeting the objectives of Community Justice and the reducing re-offending agenda. Margaret noted in closing that article to ‘WATCH THIS SPACE’ for an update in further work that had been commissioned on the back of the success of The Ripple Effect work and on planning the next phases and stages. I am delighted to be providing that update.
Following the successful launch of the Ripple Effect 2019 films (see LINKS below) at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, the Shared Sentences Film Project has been busy working with people with lived experience of the community justice system in Glasgow to:
- Add to the series of films.
- Boost the participation elements for the people with lived experience taking part.
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO VIEW THE RIPPLE EFFECT 2019 FILMS:
1. Adding to the Film Series
The films reflect the priorities in the Community Justice Outcomes Improvements Plan 2018-23 (https://www.glasgowcpp.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=41787&p=0) with films on themes such as:
- Women
- Prevention/Throughcare
- Victims
- Prevention/Building Protective Factors and
- Prevention/Diversion from Prosecution.
The Covid Pandemic hit during the planning phase for the new set of films and the project needed to pause and to prepare to go online. Adjusting to furloughing and lockdown restrictions took several months with a number of abortive re-starts reflecting the volatility of the unfolding epidemic, with the project finally recommencing online with planning and preparations ready for the commencement of online filming in early April of 2021.
Working through established recovery groups online the filmmaker/facilitators of Media Education developed 2 separate teams to meet together using video links and to create the films remotely.
Working responsively to the needs of participants WhatsApp was used to build group identity and cohesion and everyone in the first team has successfully achieved the Access to Media certification; with 4 certificates awarded. The second group is now submitting their work for certification.
From August 2021 the filmmaking will revert to face-to-face sessions and film production will continue.
2. Boosting Participation & Engagement
An exciting development for this project has been the extension of involvement for people with lived experience of the community justice system in Glasgow having the opportunity to follow through beyond making and showing their films at a launch event.
In the context of The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 and helping to fulfil participation and engagement outcomes set out in The Community Outcomes Improvement Plan (2018-2023), the two production teams are developing their presentation skills and choosing the audiences that they particularly want to see the films and engage in discussions around the themes explored.
This is a significant development for participants as they move beyond sharing their lived experience to applying their lived experience to make reasoned arguments for what they want. It means taking a more active role in the process of participation and demonstrating active citizenship and leadership; with the filmmaking process allowing the media team members to broaden their understanding of the community justice system more widely and demonstrate their capacity to influence how services are delivered.
These advocacy and empowerment elements for the filmmaking project are testing out the possibilities for using a participatory filmmaking process, combined with a participatory action research and empowerment approach to deliver a variety of outcomes:
- Modelling a practical approach to delivering on the Outcomes and Performance Improvement Framework (OPI Framework).
- Developing service user voice.
- Providing an employability development process.
- Providing models for expanding unpaid work opportunities to include community development and community outreach through media.
For more information about the work of Media Education; you can contact us at:
Iain Shaw
Director and Development Team Member
Media Education
https://mediaeducation.co.uk/
07458 303 724
