Media Education : News

We're Moving!

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:01:37 -0500

Yes, from the 1st of March our new contact details will be :

Media Education
183 Dalry Road
Edinburgh
EH11 2EB

Telephone: (0131) 313 8900

Email addresses and the web address will, of course, stay the same.

We'll be launching our new improved website very soon and making some exciting announcements about new developments.

Reel Deal Drug Education Resource Launched

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:20:24 -0400

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Lesley Hinds, officially launched the Reel Deal drug education resource at a ceremony at Transition on the 10th of March 2006. The launch is the culmination of a year of work by all of the organisations involved in the Reel Deal partnership.

The Reel Deal partnership combines the public, private and voluntary sectors bringing together Transition, an organisation which provides accredited learning and support to recovering and recovered substance users, Fast Forward, a youth drugs and alcohol peer education programme, NHS Lothian and Media Education, a specialist media company that works in the community to help promote positive change.

The resource is made up of a collection of video assets, made by Media Education, harnessing the real life experiences of the students attending Transition. These include interviews, talking heads, drama sequences and scenarios, and will be used in peer education, to inform and educate young people about the issues surrounding drugs misuse.

The assets have been developed throughout the year, with the students from Transition involved at every stage, from planning and scripting, filming and editing, through to 'road testing' the finished assets at a series of consultation events. The students have received training in these skills from Media Education, and a number have gained placements and media-related qualifications as a result. The volunteers from Fast Forward have also been involved in the production process, providing valuable feedback and advice on tailoring the assets for peer education.

The finished assets will be made available to all interested organisations involved in the drugs education field and it is hoped that the resource will continue to be developed and adapted in the future, including the creation of a training pack and additional materials to accompany the video assets.

More information on the resource, as well as the organisations involved, can be found at http://www.reeldeal.org.uk/

Festival Radio 2007 details available soon

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:16:35 -0400

Radio reporting from the Edinburgh Festival...

...does your group have what it takes?

The 2006 course has now been completed. The details below are for information only. Please contact us if you would like to join the mailing list for 2007 courses.

A unique opportunity for your community group to become radio reporters for a week

The backdrop for this exciting project is The Edinburgh Festivals - International, Fringe, Book and Film - where participants will have the opportunity to be part of the Festivals’ Press for the week, interview the stars, produce radio features and have them made available for broadcast on radio networks.

Groups will receive training in how to plan a radio programme, interview techniques and use of recording and audio editing equipment, to enable them to produce their own broadcasts. The project is open to all (13 years and above) and groups with all levels of ability are welcome.

Participants will gain:

Communication and team building skills
New technical editing and production skills
Increased confidence and self-esteem

Participants will also have the opportunity to:

Discover an appreciation of the arts
Experience press access to Edinburgh Fringe shows
Meet and interview the stars of the festivals
Broadcast to listeners across Scotland and around the world

Programme

Day 1
Introduction and ice-breaker activities
Interview techniques
Use of audio recording equipment
Use of audio digital editing equipment

Day 2
Putting a radio package together
Vox-pops - gathering audience views and opinions
Radio features - planning and preparation

Day 3
Writing reviews
On location - attending festival shows or films
On location - interviewing audience, cast and crew members

Day 4
On location - attending shows, more interviews and reviews
Editing technique
Programme production

Day 5
Completing radio features and written reviews
Listening back to the completed features
Review and evaluation of the project

Venue

South Bridge Resource Centre, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT
The venue is fully accessible.

Dates and times

Monday 14 August to Friday 18 August 2006, 9am-5pm every day

Costs

To book the full Project week for a maximum group of 14 costs £3000. We can also accommodate your flexible needs, groups with special needs or smaller group sizes. Please call us on 0131 662 8844 to discuss your requirements.

If you would like to find out more or make a booking, please contact us on:
0131 662 8844 or festivalradio@mediaeducation.co.uk

Radioactive course - 2007 course info available so

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:15:24 -0400

Does your team get the message across?

Improve your corporate communication skills @ The Edinburgh Festivals with Radioactive

The 2006 course has now been completed. The details below are for information only. Please contact us if you would like to join the mailing list for 2007 courses.

Everyone in the workplace could benefit from learning the effective communication skills of the radio reporter. This special two-day programme offers your teams or individual staff the unique opportunity to develop their communication skills while reporting from The Edinburgh Festival, the world’s biggest and best arts festival.

Staff will experience the role of the radio journalist and producer, identifying their audiences, planning programme themes and content, developing interview techniques, gathering interviews, editing and presenting their final 5-7 minute radio feature, to a pressure deadline.

The programme will challenge views of the media and give your staff a wealth of applications to use for persuasive communication within the corporate sphere.

And the backdrop for this exciting programme is the buzz of the Edinburgh Festivals – International, Fringe, Book and Film – where your staff will be part of the Festivals’ Press, reviewing shows, interviewing the performers and having their radio features made available for broadcast on radio networks.

Workshop Programme

Day 1 – morning
Introduction & programme outline
Interview technique
Practical recording technique
Show preparation – pick of the Fringe
Programme planning & task allocation – with working lunch

Day 1 – afternoon
On location - reviewing, interviewing, recording
Back to studio for debrief and afternoon tea
Editing technique
Programme production
Preparation for next day
Review of day 1

Day 2 – morning
Interview warm-ups
Show preparation
Programme planning & task allocation
On location – reviewing, interviewing, recording

Day 2 – afternoon
Back to studio for debrief and late lunch
One-to-one training – interviews
Review writing
Sound pictures – use of music & effects
Programme production
Review of day 2
Drinks & unwind with a show

Staff will develop:

clear communication techniques for effective questioning, presenting, persuading and influencing
techniques for managing unplanned events
problem-solving and collective decision-making skills
planning skills to meet real pressure deadlines

Who should attend:

All teams or individual staff who need to communicate, present to and influence others. Participants will mix with and share experiences with colleagues from other organisations.

Course Dates

22 & 23 August 2006, 9am – 5pm
24 & 25 August 2006, 9am – 5pm

Venue

Our Dynamic Earth, 112 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS
The venue is fully accessible.

Costs

£495 plus VAT per person

To find out more

If you would like to find out more or make a booking, please contact us on:

0131 662 8844
radioactive@mediaeducation.co.uk

Young Sikhs in Frame at World Film Festival

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 11:15:19 -0400

A Juggling Act for Young Scottish Sikhs

It's Like Juggling, a film made by young Scottish Sikhs in Edinburgh, has been selected for screening at the 3rd Annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival in Toronto, Canada.

The film was produced by Media Education in partnership with Save the Children in Scotland, the Family Resource Network and Sikh Sanjog, an organisation providing support and information to Sikh families living in Edinburgh.

The 15 children and young people involved with the project, aged between 10 and 15, all attend the Sikh Sanjog Youth Centre. The film features interviews with these young Sikhs who were also involved in the production of the film, operating cameras and sound equipment.

The film provides an insight into the lives of children and young people in the Sikh community and looks at what it is like to be a Sikh living in Scotland and having to 'juggle' two identities. The children and young people talk about school, religion, food and family and tackle the issues surrounding discrimination.

Funded by the Community Lottery Fund, the film is used by youth workers and other professionals who are undertaking work with young Sikh people. The film aims to raise awareness so that people will have a better understanding of the Sikh culture and beliefs. Sikh Sanjog has used the film when inducting new youth work staff and volunteers and found it to be a very useful and refreshing tool to promote cultural awareness.

The Spinning Wheel Festival celebrates the stories of Sikhs from around the world and has selected 'It's Like Juggling' as an example of a film focusing on the search for identity of British Sikhs. It is taking place at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, Canada between 14th and 16th October 2005.

FRP 2005 - More Reviews and Audio

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 04:32:59 -0400

Those of you who have been keeping an eye on the site (or the RSS feed) will have noticed that reviews and reporter profiles have been coming in thick and fast over the past few weeks.

The rest of the audio clips should be ready for download very, very soon.

The Festival is now coming to a close, and, sadly, so must the Festival Radio Project, for another year. It's been a blast, so see you again next year. Don't forget to watch out for more audio and reviews, and if you have any questions, feel free to email us at festivalradio@mediaeducation.co.uk

FRP 2005 - Week One - Audio Now Available

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 11:21:31 -0400

The audio from week one of the 2005 Festival Radio Project is now available.

Click here to download the MP3s individually, or subscribe to our fantastic new podcast feed to receive new broadcasts as they become available!

Festival Radio Project 2005 Minisite

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 06:24:59 -0400

The 2005 Festival Radio Project has kicked off, and to celebrate we have relaunched the Festival Radio Project 2005 Minisite

New features include a PODCAST feed, to allow you to download all the broadcasts as they become available. Click here to find out more.

Also new this year is our News 'n' Reviews RSS Feed. This will allow you to stay up-to-date with all the news from the Project, as well access to all the show reviews from our crack team of reporters. Click here to find out more.

The Festival Radio Project will be running for four full weeks during the Fringe. To find out more about the project click here or email us.

Scottish Business In The Community Awards 2005

Thu, 26 May 2005 06:57:38 -0400

Two organisations that strive to promote positive change, Media Education and Scottish Business in the Community, have come together to offer work placement opportunities in media production to people who are currently training for work in Edinburgh.

The successful candidates have been recruited through an interview process to become Production Assistants at Media Education. The PAs have spent the last four weeks producing a video, profiling the Scottish Business in the Community Excellence Awards.

The Excellence Awards recognise companies for integrating responsible business practice into mainstream operations and celebrate good practice in corporate social responsibility. The winners will be announced at a celebration dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow on the 26th May, along with SBC Company of the Year, HRH The Prince of Wales' Ambassador Award and The Sieff Award.

Emily Squire of Scottish Business in the Community eagerly anticipates viewing the final film:

"Our organisation is about recognising corporate social responsibility and encouraging inclusion which is why the chosen production team have been recruited from a variety of training for work organisations. They are people that have perhaps been marginalised by the world of work. They will be looking at the Excellence Awards from a completely different angle and it will be very interesting to see what they come up with."

The Production Assistants have been involved with all aspects of production from the planning stages to filming and post-production. Iain Shaw, Director of Media Education is enthusiastic about the work the new production team have completed.

"This has been a fantastic opportunity for the production assistants, not only to develop new skills but also offering them the opportunity to voice their own opinions. The team have experienced a variety of working environments which will also be a valuable to them."

Media Education have provided the PAs with training and support in use of video equipment, interview techniques, presenting to camera and digital editing. The production team visited the award winning businesses to create profiles of the companies using these newly developed skills. The participants will not only have developed skills in media production but also in communication, planning and IT. The placement will prepare the participants for future interviews, employment opportunities and further training. The PAs will all be attending the awards ceremony on 26th May where the final video will be screened.

Greenscape - Making Our Mark

Thu, 26 May 2005 06:38:42 -0400

Media Education has been working with young people from XL clubs at three schools in Glasgow to create a documentary chronicling their involvement in the Greenscape project.

Greenscape aims to create a landscaped space outside the Glasgow Museum Resource Centre and is supported by Glasgow City Council and the Prince's Trust amongst others. It is hoped that when the project is completed it will provide a flexible space that can be used both by local people living nearby and by the museum's education team.

As part of the project a core team of young people have learnt skills in using video equipment to capture the development of the project. Activities have included visiting other landscaped sites (such as Landform at Edinburgh's Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish Parliament), learning land management at Pollok Park and creating artworks at Glasgow Sculpture Studios and Powderhall Bronze Foundry.

Work on the project is now well underway, with contractors working hard to realise the young people's vision.

The documentary is also nearing completetion and the Premiere will be at the UGC in Glasgow on the 12th of May.

Midlothian Young People Reach for the Airwaves

Tue, 05 Apr 2005 10:16:11 -0400

Nine young people from all over Midlothian took part in radio training with Media Education last week.

A community radio licence application is currently underway and it is hoped that if successful the station will become the voice of the Midlothian, with people of all ages from all over the area taking part.

During the training the young people gathered opinions from local people in Dalkeith, before editing the material together to create short pre-recorded segments to insert into their show. Topics that are relevant to them were chosen and pieces on anti-social behaviour, drugs and music were produced.

The training finished with a 'live' pilot program being produced. This incorporated the pre-recorded elements, music and live links, news and opinions from the participants. It is hoped that this program may be used as a tool to generate future funding to help set up the station.

It was clear from the commitment and confidence of all the young people involved that there will be no shortage of presenters if the licence is awarded.

You can download their audio pieces by clicking the links below and if you have any comments please e-mail us at comments@mediaeducation.co.uk. These pieces are free for broadcast by radio stations, but if you wish to do this please let us know for our records.

What should the station be called? (Whole group) (.wav format, 720Kb)
Is anti-social behaviour a problem in Midlothian? (Chris, Emma, Graeme)(.wav format, 2.9 Mb)
Drugs & Midlothian (Catriona, Diana, Emma)(.wav format,2.9Mb)
What kind of Music should be on Midlothian #1? (Colin, Fraser, John)(.wav format, 2.5Mb

Work Experience Pupils Keep Us On Our Toes!

Fri, 28 Jan 2005 06:07:34 -0500

Media Education has recently hosted two pupils on their fourth year work experience placement. Libby from Boroughmuir High School and Emma from Leith Academy each spent a week finding out what it's like to be a media professional.

Libby decided to create a short broadcast investigating the very current issue of a smoking ban in pubs and restaurants, and interviewed local cafe owners and users to find out their views. She also had time to make a short film featuring our mascots, the blue squirrels.

Emma's particular area of interest was the division of funding within the NHS. As an NHS user she had been disappointed with the level of care she had received and wanted to investigate whether this was just her experience or a general trend. Emma interviewed Conservative MSP and Spokesman on Health & Community Care David Davidson for the piece as well as gathering an overview of experiences from local people.

Both girls impressed us greatly with their maturity and ability to tackle the tasks we set for them. You can download their audio pieces by clicking the links below and if you have any comments please e-mail us at comments@mediaeducation.co.uk. These pieces are free for broadcast by radio stations, but if you wish to do this please let us know for our records.

We wish Emma and Libby all the best in their future careers. (Whether they choose to work in the media or not!)

Libby's Smoking Ban Broadcast Small (.wav format, small 10MB, 4m03s, listening quality)
Libby's Smoking Ban Broadcast Large(.wav format, large 41MB, 4m03s, broadcast quality)
Emma's NHS Investigation Small(.wav format, small 14.6MB, 5m 47s, listening quality)
Emma's NHS Investigation Large(.wav format, large 58 MB, 5m 47s, broadcast quality)

Playback Scoop YoungEdinburgh Award

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:32:21 -0400

The young people of Playback have received the Evening News Youngedinburgh award for Visual Arts.

The award was presented by Andy "Boogie" Bouglas of Forth FM to Alan Gray and Karen Sutherland who were representing all of the Playback young people at the awards ceremony held in the Hub on Monday 11th October.

The young people of Playback received the award in recognition of their achievements in producing the film Transitions into Adulthood. The film was made last year with Media Education and it forms part of an educational pack for secondary school students. The film looks at the key issues affecting young disabled people in the transition into adulthood such as further education, independent living, finding employment and handling social situations. The group based the video on their own real life experiences.

Karen also received the award for Unsung Heroine in recognition of her community and voluntary work, which was presented by Big Brothers Cameron Stout.

Playback and Media Education are now working on a new version of Transitions into Adulthood aimed at professionals who work with disabled people.

Festival Radio Volunteer Starts Career at River FM

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:27:55 -0400

One of this years Festival Radio volunteers is about to make a name for herself in radio. Marissa de Andrade who helped out on the project this year has just been employed as a reporter for River FM. Whilst helping us out Marissa found time to interview some of the stars of the Fringe and create her own radio insert. Obviously once she'd got the bug there was no looking back. We would like to thank Marissa and all our other volunteers for their help this year and wish them all the best for the future.

Youth Achievement Award Winners

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 10:27:49 -0400

Karen Sutherland received an EYSIP Youth Achievement Gold Award on 8th July 2004. The award was presented in recognition of volunteer work including involvement with Media Education. Media Education assisted Karen to produce the film Yes My Brain Works, Does Yours? which looked at wheelchair access to public transport. The film was funded by a Community Millennium Award from the Community Media Association and is now being used as a training tool for the transport industry.

Media Education has also produced two films for Playback, a charity working to raise awareness of the needs of young wheelchair users. Karen has been involved in both films as a member of the Playback group. Karen has also been a reporter for the Media Education Festival Radio project and has volunteered for various EYSIP (Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Project) initiatives. Two further Youth Achievement Award winners, Emily Allan and Adam Harrington, have also been involved with Media Education projects.

Films Selected for Jana Film Festival

Thu, 02 Sep 2004 06:41:47 -0400

Two of Media Educations films from last year have been accepted for the Jana International Film Festival for Children and Youth. Silly Sixties is the tale of a group of children who travel back in time to save the blue squirrel, a rare type of squirrel that hasnt been seen in Scotland since the sixties. The Lost Child is a darker tale of a building haunted by a dead baby who was seperated from her parents after they commited suicide. Both films were jointly funded by Falkirk Council and the Scottish Arts Council and were made by young people from the Falkirk area. Click Here to find out more about the Moving Histories projects.

Jana International Film Festival for Children and Youth will be held in Beirut, Lebanon from October the 8th to the 14th.

Festival Radio Week One Ends In Success

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 10:41:55 -0400

The Go4it and Media Education Festival Radio Project has kicked off in style, and the first week's broadcasts are now complete. Young people from across Edinburgh were helped to produce their own radio broadcasts, featuring reviews of Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, and interviews with performers and audience members.

The completed broadcasts are now ready for download - click here to get your copies!

The young people were also asked to put pen to paper with their written reviews of every show they saw during the week. A selection of the best ones can be viewed here.

Week Two of the Festival Radio Project is now well under way, so watch this space for the finished broadcasts, and more show reviews.

Happy Birthday Festival Radio!

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 10:10:48 -0400

The Media Education Festival Radio project is entering its tenth year at the Fringe Festival. The project provides groups of young people with unlimited access to Edinburgh Fringe shows and the opportunity to become reporters for a week. The young people are provided with training in interview techniques, recording equipment and audio editing to produce their own broadcasts. These are aired on radio stations throughout the UK and are available on the World Wide Web. This year the broadcasts will also be played on Radio Lollipop, providing patients at the Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children with access to the Festival.

The project is running for two weeks from 2nd August to 13th August. Young people are recruited through the City of Edinburgh Councils Go4It programme which organises activities for secondary school aged young people in Edinburgh during the summer holidays.

Once the project is under way, downloads will be made available, on this site, to radio stations worldwide and to members of the public. Watch this space for announcements!

Click here for downloads

The Big Bash

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:00:49 -0400

Media Education is celebrating 10 years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 30th July. The event marks the launch of Festival Radio 2004 and Media Educations new web site. The latest company information pack will also be available at the launch. The Launch is taking place at South Bridge Resource Centre, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh between 4pm 7pm.

The new Media Education web site will provide the latest news in community media, short video and audio clips and information on existing and past Media Ed projects. Young people will be given the opportunity to comment on the projects they have been involved in on the Media Education Forum. There will be a separate forum for adults to post information discussing current issues.