A £500,000
Lottery Application that was Rejected by the Lottery in 1997 written by Paul
Darke
The British
Film Institute
Disability
and Film Project
An Arts
for Everyone Application
The British
Film Institute Disability and Film Project
Contents
Section A
Application Form Page
2
Section B
Business Plan Page 13
(Sections: 1 - 10)
Section C Marketing
Plan Page 76
Section D
Budget Plan Page 84
Appendices
Appendices Title Appendices
No.
BFI Royal Charter 1
BFI Constitution 2
BFI Corporate Plan 3
BFI Annual report 1996-7 4
BFI Equal Opportunities Policy 5
BFI Accounts 1996-7 6
BFI Lottery bids - Summary to Date 7
BFI Training Policy 8
BFI Disability Committee 9
Participation and support statements 10
List and Supporting Letters From Participation: 11
Regional
Film Theatres
Regional
Arts Boards
Media
Development Agency
National
Film and Television School
Report on BFI initiative Perception 12
Draft Tender Document 13
Screenwrite 2 14
Draft Sponsorship Form 15
Wie Wir Leben Film Festival 16
Copy of BFI publication Framed 17
Section A
Application Form
Section A -
Application Form
A4E Application
Form
Your project
What is your
organisation / group's name?
The British
Film Institute bfi
What is your
project called?
The British
Film Institute Disability and Film Project
(bfi Disability and Film Project)
How much money
are you applying for?
£
499,593
Checklist of
additional information to accompany application
0.1 Compulsory
Accounts Enclosed:
Appendix 6
Constitution
or set of rules Enclosed:
in Appendix 2
Detailed
Budget (see 3.6) Enclosed:
in Budget Plan
0.2 Optional
Business Plan Enclosed:
Business Plan
Marketing Plan
Enclosed: in Marketing Plan
01 About
your organisation
1.1 Who
should we contact about the application?
xxxxx xxxxxxx
Post
held in your organisation/group bfi
Production Executive
Address bfi
Production
29
Rathbone Street
London
W1P
1AG
Phone/Fax
number (day/evening) Tel:
0171 636 5587
Fax:
0171 580 9456
Best
time to contact by phone? During
office hours only.
1.2 Please
describe your organisation.
The
British Film Institute (bfi) :
Arts
organisation applying in its own right
Registered
charity. Registration number: 287780
Company
limited by guarantee
A body incorporated by Royal Charter (Appendix 1)
bfi
constitution (Appendix 2)
1.3 If
you are acting on behalf of a consortium please list the names of the
other
organisations/groups involved.
Not
Applicable
1.4 In
which year did your organisation begin operation?
1933
1.5 What
does your organisation do?
The
British Film Institute is the UK's national agency with
responsibility for
encouraging
the arts of film and television and conserving them in the national
interest.
Copy
of current corporate plan enclosed (Appendix 3).
1.6 (i) How many members
are there in your group?
520
employees at bfi
(ii) How
many of them are specifically involved in this project?
6
lead officers (see project management structure in business plan)
1.7 How
many people do you employ on a regular paid basis?
520
1.8 If
you have any volunteers, how many and what do they do?
Not
Applicable
1.9 Please
provide the following financial details using your organisation's
latest
annual accounts:
Accounts
for the year ended: 31/03/1997
£
Public
grant income 16,473,000
Other
grant income 1,299,000
Earned
and other income 13,529,00
Total
income 31,301,000
Expenditure 32,017,000
Surplus
(deficit) for the year (716,000)
Total
all reserves shown in your balance sheet 29,005,000
Copy
of most recent signed accounts
enclosed (Appendix 6).
1.10 You must have a
bank or building society account in the same name as
your
organisation to be eligible for a grant.
Please give the account
details
below.
Account
name
British
Film Institute
Bank/building
society name Lloyds
Bank plc.
Address
32 Oxford Street
London
W1A 2LD
Sort code
xxxxxxxxxx
Account no.
xxxxxxxxxx
1.11 Do you have any
special communication needs (e.g. Minicom, large print,
sign
language)?
Not at
present but the project itself will require a number of items.
02 About
your project
Project
start date April 1999 Finish
date June 2002
2.1 Please
describe the project/programme you plan to undertake.
Running
over 3 years the project will create new opportunities for disabled
filmmakers
wishing to write, produce and direct films to extend the range of
films
available to audiences and provide education on the issue of disability and
the
media.
The
project has 5 inter-related components:
1.
A programme of developmental workshops on script-writing and directing for
disabled filmmakers plus an intensive feature script writing school of
workshops
at
the National Film and Television School (NFTVS);
2.
A Production Programme - producing 5 short films by disabled filmmakers;
3.
A national exhibition and education touring programme at Regional Film Theatres
(RFTs) of
disability specific films including (in years 2 & 3 of the project) work
completed in the production
programme (see 2);
4.
Education Publication - publication of teaching material for use in the
classroom on
the issue of
representations of disability;
5.
bfi, RFT and RAB staff disability and access
training programme.
2.2 Please summarise how your project meets
each of the five A4E core objectives
1. Encouraging
new audiences to experience high quality arts activity
The
high profile launch and national touring exhibition programme is intended to
encourage an entirely new audience to experience the work of disabled film
makers.
This supported exhibition and distribution programme will provide full public
access to work of previously limited viewing opportunity/access.
In
addition the contextualising education events to be held at participating RFTs
ensure greater appreciation and understanding of the work of disabled film
practitioners by new audiences.
The
touring programme itself will consist of the highest quality work
available and the degree of
professionalism and technical expertise provided by the NFTVS will ensure that
the films produced are of the highest quality possible.
The
teaching materials specifically targeted at young people (5-18) years in
disability related issues and the media will encourage understanding and
insight in the able bodied and provide inspiration to the disabled young
person.
2. Encouraging
and developing participation in arts activity
The
core objective of the project and its raison d’être is to encourage
and develop the participation of the disabled community in arts activity. The
project offers disabled film makers an unprecedented opportunity to learn the
craft of writing, directing and producing for film and through the resulting
tour offer them a high media profile.
During the
course of the production of the 5 shorts representatives of local
communities will be encouraged to involve themselves in the project by visiting
the locations.
In
addition the education publications will encourage discussion on the issue of
disability in the classroom. The monitoring and feedback from these various
activities will feed the views of young people themselves back into the
project.
3. Getting
more young people actively involved in arts & cultural activity
The
target group for the project's 2 education publications are young people
primarily 5-18 yrs. Through consultation with educational professionals and
education publications the project will actively encourage young people to
engage with the cultural activity of disabled people. In addition the project
will, in part, specifically address the needs of disabled children in its
planned location visits.
It is
further hoped that the project will act as inspiration to young disabled people
to become involved in arts activity and further that they will be encouraged to
seek employment in the film/media industry itself. Equally, short films are traditionally the main area
of concern for young and new film-makers.
4.
Supporting
new work and helping it develop its audience
The
workshops and script writing school are designed for disabled film makers to
develop new work. The resulting 5 short productions and feature scripts will be
completed in an environment which offers structured support to film-makers to
develop, realise and showcase completely new work.
The
project's marketing campaign (see marketing plan) and the creation of new
distribution and exhibition opportunities will ensure the project supports the
new work while also developing new audiences for that work.
5. Building
people's creative potential through training or professional development
The
workshop and script writing school experience represent an important
/significant opportunity in the
career of the participants - the developmental workshops will allow
participants to realise their creative potential in the structured, supported
environment of the NFTVS
The
IN-Service training (INSET) for the teachers provided at the RFTs education
events and based around the education publications will allow this important
professional development to be taken back and used in the classroom.
In
addition the bfi/RFT/RAB disability and access training
programme will ensure these organisations' continued commitment to enabling the
disabled communities' creative potential.
2.3 The
Arts Council of England's A4E programme is committed to giving
all
applicants equal access to funding.
Awards will be made irrespective
of
gender, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, disability, marital
status
or sexual orientation. In what
practical way does your group
match
the spirit of this policy?
The
bfi has a strong and vigorous commitment to the
pursuit of equal opportunities in all areas of its work. Our Equal
Opportunities Policy document (see Appendix 5) is in the process of being up
dated through a consultative Equal Opportunities monitoring group. The project
will adhere strictly to this policy ensuring it is accessible to all sections
of the community.
Examples
of recent bfi initiatives include: the appointment of a Black
& Minorities Project leader to promote awareness of minority work; the
introduction of Diverse Awareness training for staff; the publication of Framed (see
Appendix 17); the Disability Committee which advises the Governors and bfi
Management Board on disability issues; the Institute's acquisition and theatric
and video realising policies is also committed to making a wide diversity of
work available to the widest possible audience, including the distribution of a
wide selection of Hearing Impaired Subtitled prints; other examples of the
Institute's work include the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and the Jewish
Film Festival.
2.4 How
will your project/programme advance or support your equal
opportunities
policy?
In
keeping with the bfi's EOPs policies, the open competition for places on the workshops and at the
schools will be targeted (see
Marketing Plan) at the widest possible range of disabled people. The selection
of participants will be monitored and forms for feedback will include EOP
feedback.
The
touring exhibition programmes and series of special events are designed to
reach as wide an audience as possible; and the publication of teaching aids
will provide teachers with the tools to raise the issues of disability in the
classroom. As above it will be part of the Project Director's remit to monitor EOPs.
An
important aspect of the project is to challenge stereotypical representations,
ignorance and intolerance of disablement as represented at present in the film
industry.
03 Project
planning & finance
3.1 How
do you know there's a demand for what your project plans to do?
Through
the Project Consultant's connections with a variety of disability organisations
and in light of the research undertaken by Ann Pointon for the bfi (see
Appendix 12) it is clear there is a real need for this type of project. While in the development process of
this application the Project Consultant has sought the views of a variety of
people and organisations, the Regional Film Theatres (RFTs), the Regional Arts
Boards (RABs), the bfi Disability Committee and the 1 in 8 Group
(see Appendices 10 & 11 for letters of support); feedback from teachers
consulted has also suggested there is little available material for teaching
purposes; in addition Freaks Out a season of films by disabled film
makers at the National Film Theatre proved extremely successful attracting
enthusiastic audience response; consultations with disabled film makers
themselves have also highlighted the desperate need for training opportunities
tailored to suit their specific needs where none at present exist. (See also Appendices 10, 11 and 12: letters
of support; participation; and 'Perception' research; etc.)
3.2 How might your proposal complement,
or differ from, the work being
undertaken
by other similar organisations in your region (or those areas
in
which the project will take place)?
Through
the research and development phase of the project and via consultation
with
Regional Arts Boards and National and local disability organisations it is
clear that no provision of this kind exists at present (see Appendix 10 &
11). Uniquely the project has a
national remit involving every region of the UK. In consultation with
disability organisations including close consultation with West Midlands
Disability Arts Forum (of which the Project Director is co-ordinator) the
project will compliment existing creative activity for disabled people taking
place regionally. The project
expands on the bfi's initiative Perception (see
Appendix 12).
3.3 How do you
plan to feed the opinions of your audience/beneficiaries
into
the shaping of your project/programme?
Taking
as its basis the afore mentioned project Perception a
considerable number of potential participants for the Workshops, Script School
and the productions have been consulted. This consultation process has been
undertaken by the project's director in his various roles at the National
Disability Arts Forum and West Midlands Disability Arts Forum (see also Project Director's Curriculum Vitae). In addition, and in
consultation with Regional Film Theatres, target audiences have been
identified, and feedback from the bfi screening programme Freaks Out has
been evaluated. Training Needs
Analysis will be undertaken by the bfi as part of the
first stage of the project. As a
disabled person himself, the Project Director has first hand experience of the
particular problems facing disabled practitioners and audiences alike. These
have been fed directly into the project.
Constant
monitoring and evaluation of the project will feedback directly into shaping
the form and content throughout.
3.4 How
will you work with other organisations and agencies in your area
on
this project?
In
consultation with Regional Arts Boards and Disability Forums, the regional
strategy of each project area has been assessed with regard to access and
equality of opportunity. As a result a number of the Regional Arts Boards have
given their support to the project which they regard as a necessary inclusion in their region
wide objectives. In addition the Project Director's close links with various
disability organisations will allow the project to make strategic interventions
at a national level.
The
project will collaborate directly with The National Film And Television School
which will co-ordinate and host the practical workshops and production
elements. The project will also provide reciprocal opportunities for its
partners brokering links between disabled film makers and audiences, the bfi,
Regional Film Theatres, Regional Arts Boards and the National Film And
Television School.
Please
enclose your marketing plan/audience research funding, if appropriate.
Marketing
and Budget Plans enclosed.
3.5 (i) How much A4E funding are you applying
for? £499,593
(ii) How much partnership funding do you
have for the project?
(a) applied for £148,204 (b) confirmed Yes - agreed 'in principle' both
'in-kind'
and 'cash'.
3.6 Please
give us a breakdown of your estimated income and expenditure on
this
project:
Income Year
1 Year 2 Year
3 Total
A4E grant applied
for
226,029 203,137 70,427 499,593
Partnership
income:
NFTVS
income 'in kind' 6,440 6,762 16,632 29,834
Regional
Film Theatres 9,390 9,220 9,240 27,850
British
Film Institute funding 19,000 20,500 2,500 42,000
Local authority
Private Sponsorship:
SWMDA
(film agency) 500 500 1,000
EU
Other public
income
Regional
Arts Board funding 13,966 19,218 14,336 47,520
Earned income
Total
income
275,325 259,337 113,135 647,797
Revenue
expenditure Year
1 Year 2 Year
3 Total
Artistic
Programmes
183,864 199,278 70,066 453,208
Marketing
34,224 10,829 14,229
59,282
Overhead
salaries
14,000 9,500 9,500
33,000
Other
overheads
25,359 23,957 9,063
58,379
Other: 5% inflation
10,674
5,177
15,851
12%
management costs
25,359
23,957
9,063
59,167
Staff
training 5,100 5,100 5,100
15,300
Total revenue
spending
262,547 259,337 113,135 635,020
Capital
expenditure Year
1 Year 2 Year
3 Total
Equipment
12,778 12,778
Vehicle
Refurbishment
Total capital
spending 12,778 12,778
Year
1 Year 2 Year
3 Total
Total
expenditure
275,325 259,337 113,135 647,797
Surplus /
Deficit
0
0
0 0
Detailed financial
analysis showing the full project budget
and cashflow forecast for the project enclosed in Budget Plan.
Is your
organisation VAT registered? YES
Registration
number GB xxx xxx xxx
3.7 Have
you already applied for, or do you intend to apply for, funds from another
Lottery
distribution body for the project/programme described in this application or
for
any other project?
Yes
- See Appendix 7
3.8 Your
Chair and your most senior employee must sign the
declaration below.
I
confirm that I am authorised to sign this declaration on behalf of
(Name
of organisation)
and
that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all the information supplied on
this form
and
any accompanying documents is true and accurate.
I
further confirm that if this application is successful the organisation will
use the grant
exclusively
for the purposes specified in this application and will comply with any
conditions
attached
to the grant by the Arts Council of England.
1.
Signature Name: Date
(Chair/Governor)
2.
Signature Name: Date
(Senior
employee) John
Woodward
Section B
Business Plan
Section One
The
bfi
'The British
Film Institute is the UK national agency
with responsibility for encouraging the arts of film and television and
conserving them in the national interest.
Our key corporate
aims are to develop a diverse and accessible national film and television
culture and to increase public access to the widest possible range and
diversity of film, television and video, and encourage access to our
collections.
We are,
essentially, an educational institution and our mission places audiences at the
heart of our work' (Jeremy Thomas; Chairman, 1996/7 Annual Review).
·
The British Film Institute is the UK agency with responsibility for encouraging the arts of film
and television and conserving them in the national interest. Unlike any other body of its kind, it
combines into a single organisation activities and expertise covering all
aspects of film, television and video: production, distribution, exhibition,
preservation and conservation, education, publishing, library services and
research.
·
These activities are carried out by the
following bfi divisions: The National Film
Theatre; The London Film Festival and other festivals; The Museum of the Moving
Image; The National Film and Television Archive; bfi Education; bfi Production; and bfi Films; bfi South Bank; and the bfi Library at Stephen Street.
·
Approximately half the bfi's funding comes as grant-in-aid from the Department of Media, Culture
and Sport. The rest from is raised
from subscriptions of its members, provision of services, sponsorship and
donations.
The bfi has a number of different sections which carry out its mission to
foster cultural diversity and access to film, video and television. The National Film and Television
Archive is primarily concerned with preservation of our moving image heritage
and preserving it for the future and has recently received a Heritage Lottery
Fund award of £13.8 million.
It not only preserves moving images but also provides archivist training
and advice around the world.
The bfi has a significant South Bank operation where the National Film Theatre
(NFT) is based; which has also received a recent lottery grant from the Arts
Council of England to build The IMAX Cinema - the first in London. The National Film Theatre is the centre
piece of the bfi membership programme and the
bfi now has a membership of 33,000 people. The NFT is one of the country's leading
programming operations and is the site of many UK premiers and the Guardian
Interviews take place there on a regular basis. Many NFT programmes not only travel the UK but also the
world and is the site and organisational force behind a variety of film and
video festivals; including The Jewish Film Festival, The London Film Festival
and the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The bfi's Museum of the
Moving Image is also based on the South Bank and is attached to the National
Film Theatre.
Cinema Services
and Development at the bfi has many elements and is instrumental in the
organisation and operation processes of a variety of exhibition and
distribution touring programmes and in the location of Regional Funding unit,
the UK MEDIA Desk and co-ordinates and offers regional liaison, through its
Joint Officers Group, expert advice and funding to regional film institutions
such as the Regional Film Theatres, the Regional Arts Boards and offers lottery
application advice and support for whom ever requests it on an equal and
consistent basis.
Research and
Education is largely concerned with, as its departmental title would suggest,
research and education in relation to film and video; it produces a variety of
educational materials on the issue of film and television and includes bfi Publishing and the monthly journal Sight and Sound. It also publishes the
successful series' 'film classics' and 'film classics' and numerous educational
books, teachers packs and academic studies that either the bfi have undertaken
or are carried out externally. The
conferences 'Children on Screen' and 'Curriculum 2000' were organised by this
section and have had a significant impact on policy and practice by those who
it was aimed at.
Library and
Information Services provide a comprehensive library service to both the
general public and media interested specialists; it has special collections,
has published a series of specialist guides to its holdings and has a comprehensive
SIFT Database and Data Collection which provides information available on
CD-ROM in its spacious reading room based at the bfi's main offices in Stephen Street in London.
bfi Production is concerned with the development of films - both short and
feature length - and actively works within the British film industry to secure
funding for a variety of films in addition to providing some funding
itself. It also runs a New
Directors scheme which has been the launch pad on to greater things, both
externally and internally, and has developed such talents as Andrew Kotting,
John Maybury, Lynne Ramsey and Shane Meadows. Its production board staff are respected throughout the UK
and Europe and in the USA and were formerly chaired by Charles Denton, now the Arts
Council of England's film panel chair.
Its national
mission is to foster cultural diversity within the British film and television
industry and, by extension in the wider society through educating the public
and film specialists about the immense power, beauty and potential of
film. We have not under taken a
project such as the one proposed in this Arts for Application for disabled
people; the time is right for such a pro-active project and will utilise a variety
of the above mentioned departments and sections and will give the project all
the support it requires to guarantee its success.
The A4E project
is based on our vast range of strengths and talented individuals such as Steve
Brookes (Production), Alan Gregory (Regional Marketing), Cary Bazalgette
(Education and Research), Stephen Filby (training) and Briony Hanson (Cinema
Services/Regional Development) et al, combined with
those of others such as the National Film And Television School, the Regional
Film Theatres and the individual Paul Anthony Darke and all the others who will
lead and work on different parts of the project.
For a more
in-depth overview and review of bfi
activities, policies and plans see documents from the bfi in the appendices (1-9).
Section Two
Project
Background
(Research,
Development and Option Appraisal)
Ann Pointon
undertook an extensive research process at the conclusion of a disability
initiative that the bfi carried out in
1995 (a draft copy of which is enclosed in the Appendix 12); the initiative,
called Perception, was an open competition for
a script-writing development award (for either feature or short) and had no
guaranteed follow-up funding to carry forward any of those selected. It was very much seen as a 'toe in the
water' exercise in order to 'see who was out there' and to send a message to
disabled writers and film-makers that the bfi was interested to hear from them.
It was, in retrospect, a 'pilot' scheme out of which this project was
born.
Ann Pointon's
research on the initiative found that disability film initiatives need to be
properly funded, include developmental elements and should include the elements
included in this project: workshops/school; production; exhibition; publishing; and improved access and staff training.. The quality of submissions to the
initiative showed two things: firstly, that there were a significant number of
talented disabled people interested in film-making and writing in the UK; and,
secondly, that initial developmental training was needed which was specifically
geared towards them and their needs.
Thus, the depth, scope and nature of this project was formed.
Paul Darke, this Project's Director, a member
of the Perception selection panel, considered
a range of research, including that undertaken by Ann Pointon; the book Framed; confidential research undertaken by Karen Ross at the BBC Equal
Opportunities unit; policy review meetings on the Arts Council of
England's Disability
Arts Video Project; articles and books by Steve
Dwoskin, Elspeth Morrison, and Colin Barnes and Richard Reiser, and
others.
Research and Development
In 1995 in the wake of the bfi's disability initiative Perception (see
Appendix 12) a script development award scheme, disability consultant and
freelance producer/director Ann Pointon undertook an extensive follow-up
research project. Perception was regarded as a pilot scheme both to provide the bfi with quantitative data
about this unknown constituency of film makers and to signal to disabled
writers and film makers the bfi's
commitment to them.
The quality of submissions to
this first bfi initiative revealed firstly,
that there were a significant number of talented disabled people interested in
film making, and secondly, that training was needed which was specifically
designed to meet their needs. From the basis of these findings this bfi Disability and Film Project has been developed.
The initial development and co-ordination of
this project has been undertaken by the Project
Director, who was a member of the Perception selection panel. In support of this application the Project Director has
undertaken extensive consultation with disabled individuals and representative
organisations in order to garner a better understand their hopes and
expectations. In addition, having consulted Pointon's and other research,
attended various international disability Film Festivals (Wie Wir Leben see Appendix 16) and seasons and serving as a member of the bfi Disability Committee, the Project
Director was able to structure the project through a number of key individuals
and appropriate groups and agencies.
As a result of this research Paul has co-ordinated the process of
structuring this project, contacting key individuals who would: a) contribute;
b) participate; c) provide financial in-put; d) potentially participate on
various elements.
By linking various bfi Divisions, contacting and networking with the Regional Arts Boards and Regional Film
Theatres and gaining the support of influential
Disability Arts co-ordinators: i.e. Geof Armstrong (National Disability Arts
Forum, NDAF) and disability media specialists: i.e.
Richard Reiser (1 in 8 Group), the Project
Director has created a holistic project fully attuned to the needs and
aspirations of disabled people (following the careful evaluation of what is
needed in both short and long term), considering what is viable in relation to
potential participants, audiences and quality of the finished product..
From March 1997
until the final submission of this application to Arts for Everyone, the Project Director, Paul Darke, has travelled the country gauging
the needs, hopes and expectations of both disabled people and film agencies, as
well as the potential range and required contents of a project on film and
disability.
Option
Appraisal (Notes Towards)
Before proceeding
with an appraisal of the possible options confronting the Institute once a
decision has been forthcoming from ACE
concerning this application, it is important, in its important to summarise the
thinking which underlies the project as outlined in this document and which
justifies the scale and range of activities described.
Firstly, this
project takes as its starting point the pilot scheme, Perception, 1995 (see Appendix 12), which was an attempt on the part of the Institute’s Production Division, to
assess the numbers and quality of film-makers and writers in Britain with
aspirations to create work for the cinema. This resulted concretely in two feature film projects and a
number of shorts going into development.
Perhaps more importantly, the experience drew attention to the general
lack of training and educational
opportunities available to disabled people wishing to enter the
field. As well as highlighting the
problems inherent within the film industry and the infrastructure of training
(film schools) that feeds into it, the project and the follow-up research
commissioned jointly by the bfi and the LFVDA, also served to point up the wider problems of access to education
experienced by disabled people in British society at large.
The clear lack of
a level playing field across the board in England pointed towards a large scale
film-based project with a number of dimensions which could have a lasting
cultural impact and be seen as something of a benchmark for future activities
for both the Institute and its partners, nationally and regionally.
Secondly, the
range of inter-related activities within this project became a critical part of
the thinking at an early stage, if the whole was to be able to deliver the
cultural impact desired. the
management structure (described further below) makes clear the intention to
fully exploit the web of interconnected film-related activities of which the
Institute is a facilitating central point. By bringing together a pan-Institute team of specialists (and
related partners) for the three years of the project under the general guidance
of a steering group drawn from the filed of disability arts it is anticipated
that new long term links will be forged and new cross-disciplinary thinking and
creativity encouraged, looking
towards a future beyond the life of the project itself.
Thirdly, the
project is a major initiative in the field of the arts and disability and carries with it appropriately high
costs at £647,797 over three years, some 22% of which is, however,
already in place. If at all
possible, as is envisaged, the ambitious programme will expand through
sponsorship and other kinds of private sector support increasing the percentage
on income achieved in relation to the sum requested from the ACE.
Option
1
The
zero option. In the vent of this
application being unsuccessful, it can
be
assumed that the Institute will continue with its current range of
activities;
occasionally engaging in one-off small scale initiatives with a
disability
focus (e.g. the publication of Framed or the Perception
initiative),
but mot being able to address any of the key areas of this project
with
the resources necessary. Thus, the
additionality of this Project.
Option
2
Successful
application as per document with satisfaction in its aims and
objectives.
Option
3
In
the event of this application being deemed only partially successful and
being
recommended for an award in the region of £400,000 by the ACE
there
would be concerted attempts to raise the shortfall via fund-raising and
sponsorship. In the event of not being able to raise
the £100,000 shortfall
(likely
die to it being less attractive and effective), the regrettable decision
would
have to be made to run only years one and two of the described
project.
The
reasons for this decision are as follows:
firstly,
to shave money across the range of activities would unacceptably
weaken
all elements;
secondly,
to remove any one or a number of least costly elements would
not
produce the level of savings required and would threaten the integrity
and
wider impact of the project (in its aims and objectives);
thirdly,
to significantly reduce the most costly area of the project (i.e. the
production
element) would mean reducing the number of films produced to
a
level that falls beneath an acceptable ‘visibility’ threshold in
terms of
cultural
impact (and exhibition element viability); in addition it would fail to
justify
the numbers of people trained and
the expectations raised within the
disabled
community, given the anticipated high profile recruitment and
dissemination
campaign. To summarise, the
current number of short films
projected
is seen as a minimum desirable in order to achieve ‘critical
mass’;
to remove this strand from the programme as a whole would
undoubtedly
reduce costs considerably but would completely undermine
at
least Objectives 2 and 4 (Section Six {56-62}) of the Project
rendering
it ineligible for A4E funding anyhow.
It
should, however, be pointed out that the option of running only years
one
and two of the project does undermine the cumulative and
developmental
approach of the project in a number of ways; firstly, it
means
that there is no ‘next stage’ of progression for those who have
successfully
‘graduated’ from years one and two (including the new
audiences
created and fostered in the exhibition element); secondly, it
means
that the potential cultural impact of the project will diminish as, for
film-makers
and audiences alike, feature films represent the pinnacle of
cultural
achievement within cinema. If the
project ultimately fails to lay
foundations
for new work in this area it will have stopped well short of the
thinking
that inspired its conception.
Option
4
It
should be clear from the discussion of Option 3 above that funding at
significantly
less than £400,000 from ACE would completely
undermine
the
project as described and would
necessitate a total reconception
(unrealistic)
or abandonment given the integrated nature of the whole; the
balance
of elements, contributions and overall costings across the five key
elements
of the project and the five essential A4E criteria.
Section Three
Project
Description
Introduction
This is a ground-breaking
integrated film production, exhibition, education and training project working
with disabled people aiming to promote disabled people working in the film
industry and overcome their social exclusion. Running over three years, the project will create and offer
new opportunities for disabled people wishing to write, produce (where
possible) and direct films for cinema and television; extend the range of films
available to UK audiences, disabled or otherwise; and finally, provide
education on the issue of disability and the media. This is a high profile
project that will draw upon the experiences of industry professionals from the British
Film Institute (bfi), Regional Film Theatres (RFT), The National Film and Television School (NFTVS) and a number of Regional
Arts Boards (RAB) and Media
Development Agencies (MDA).
The project will create
opportunities for disabled people to participate in various film-related
disciplines and broaden general industry understanding and appreciation of the
artistic and cultural potential of disabled film-makers. Equally, involvement in the project
will improve future employment prospects for disabled film-makers and writers
and create cultural and artistic opportunities for disabled people, and more
generally, promote the principles of cultural diversity and social inclusion.
Project Aims
The Project will be a
pan-Institute initiative - in collaboration with a variety of participating
external agencies - with the primary aim of extending opportunities for
disabled people in the areas of film-making, film education and training and
exhibition, opportunities which, at present, are virtually non-existent. The
project will seek to foster new talent and improve the creative and employment
potential of disabled people in the industry. Film is a significant tool in the
struggle to validate and create true cultural diversity, and as the UK's
national agency with responsibility for encouraging the arts of film and
television, it is natural that the bfi should take on this project.
Film will be explored, in all
the project's elements, to look at disability in the media and culture
generally; disability will be explored in relation to film writing, production
and education. All elements of the project will be designed not only to address
issues of disability in film but to deal with the wider issues of social
integration and education. This duality is one of the most exciting, innovative
and original aspects of the entire project and prevents the exercise from
becoming polemical or dogmatic about the 'disability issue'. The project will
be as much about using film to educate people about disability as it is about
providing opportunities for disabled film-makers and writers.
As outlined above, the
project will build upon the work and research already undertaken by the bfi and the Project Director to produce an integrated programme of
activities linked together by a dual concern with the power of image-making in
our society, and the principles of cultural diversity which need to be applied
to all artistic endeavour within a modern democracy. Thus, it aims to make a significant intervention in the area
of development and training for disabled people with aspirations to write and
direct for the cinema; it also aims, via the exhibition component, to widen the
range of films available to UK audiences from a disability perspective; and
finally, via the educational publishing strand, aims to introduce discussion
and awareness about the representation of disability in film and the media
throughout the country. We believe that a project of this scale
and comprehensiveness within this area of film and disability has not been
attempted before.
Project Strategy
To achieve these aims we
propose the following:
1 a programme of
development workshops on short film script-writing
and directing and a more intensive feature
script-writing ‘School’ of
workshops for a select group of disabled writers, running in the final year of
the project (all in collaboration with, and at, the National Film and
Television School);
2 a production programme producing 5 short films selected from those produced in the
workshops (2 films in year one and
3 films in year two of the
project) written and directed by disabled film-makers and writers;
3 an annual film exhibition programme
launched at the National Film Theatre (NFT) followed
by a national tour to selected Regional Film Theatres (RFTs) of disability-specific short films
(providing a showcase for those films produced by the project). The exhibition programme will include
educational events at participating RFTs over the
three years;
4 two publications from bfi
Education/Publishing; a teachers pack which includes a booklet and video aimed at secondary
schools linking in to the National Curriculum, O and A Level
syllabuses dealing with disability awareness, and a booklet for use in primary
schools examining disability imagery. These publications form part of the
education events that accompany RFT screenings;
5 bfi/project personnel training programme and selected access improvements
at the
bfi including the purchase of a minicom and computer equipment to enable
improved hearing and visually
impaired people's access.
Each part of the project, the
workshops and ‘School’, the productions, the touring exhibition programme, the educational publications and the staff training, are integrated
to ensure that the project works as a socially significant exercise which will
ensure that disabled people and film are not seen as mutually exclusive in
social, political, industrial and economic terms. The inter-linking of all
aspects of film culture and disability in production, exhibition, education and
training which considers both film-makers and audiences is essential if the
long-term benefits of the project are to be realised: i.e. inclusion, on equal
terms, in the cultural film industry of disabled people.
Overall
Costings Total
Annual
Cashflow Forecast
Section Four
Detailed
Project Description
1. Workshops
and ‘School’
Content
There are two sections to this element:
1) In the first two years of the project there will be
three or four days of short film development (depending on individual
progression) workshops for 10 disabled film-makers/writers on scripting, pitching ideas and sources
of funding, taking place at the National Film and Television School.
These workshops will
facilitate the improved quality and content of participant's submissions to the production element in future years of the project, with some proceeding on to the
later feature film Scriptwriting ‘School’ (a series of workshops). In addition these workshops will act as
developmental stages for each year's production awards. The short films that will go into
production will be chosen from the ten individuals and their ideas being
developed through the workshop process and its masterclasses.
The two completed productions
will form part of the touring exhibition programme.
2) April 2001 will see the launch of a feature film
scripting 'school' (starting in September
2001): 7 two day workshops of seminars, lectures and Masterclasses (spread over
10 months) for a selected group of experienced disabled filmmakers, writers
and/or highly talented newcomers (possibly identified in one of the 3/4 day
workshops in section 1 of this element) wanting to develop their skills to
write a first, or further, feature-length screenplay.
The school is a development
programme of workshops aimed at providing participants with access to industry
professionals and facilitating learning and script development in a structured
environment. There will be 8-10 participants and the ‘School’, covering all areas of scriptwriting, will be led by a variety
of leading academic experts and practising screenwriters. Although it is not
planned as part of this project for these draft scripts to be put into
production, it is hoped that the bfi, and others, will develop and/or foster as many scripts as is possible
created out of the school for future feature production.
Although it is expected that
some participants (in both the short and feature film elements) will already be
'known' disabled people (for example, BBC Disability Programmes Unit writers,
directors, members/graduates) most will not and may well be a variety of other
artists, performers and writers who have no experience of writing a screenplay
to date. Recruitment will be in accordance with the bfi's strict and committed Equal Opportunities Policy, and participants will be from a
cross-section of the community, including disabled people of differing race,
sexual orientation and gender.
The ‘School’s’ workshops will be held at the National Film and
Television School whose costs in mounting this
element, are counted as partnership funding in the overall project budget. The
cost of the ‘School’ is
considerable, requiring as it does, accommodation for disabled participants
travelling some distance. Thus, costings include accommodation and travel with
a significant allowance to ensure true equality of access (i.e. the cost of
bringing a signer, lip-speaker, physical facilitator etc.). The NFTVS has already begun the process
of appointing from their internal staff, project contribution curriculum
producers, co-ordinators and directors.
All elements (workshops and ‘School’) taking
place in this element at the NFTVS will be accredited to NVQ level, wherever
possible, based on the NFTVS' considerable experience in this area and their
current accreditation of media related courses (not all elements can carry an
NVQ but they will wherever possible).
Equally, it is the NFTVS's intention to write up their project
contribution in order for it to act as a role model for use in other film
schools across Europe (see their letter of participation and support in
Appendix 11). The NFTVS have also
indicated that they will provide practical support to the actual productions
(i.e. studio space, technical staff, placements for their students, advice on
their graduates for consideration on production technical staffing side etc.).
How will this be achieved?
The workshops will be run by
the NFTVS with the travel and accommodation costs of
most participants met by a bursary* from their Regional Arts Board or Media Development Agency (see Appendix 11
for list of participating RABs and MDA) with non-bursary funded participants being funded from general project
funds.
Advertising and promotional
work (see Marketing Plan- Section C) will begin as soon as the project receives
funding. In addition, all publicity relating to the exhibition programme will carry an information request slip ensuring that
potential participants can be identified and logged onto a database of targeted
mailing to interested parties.
The feature film script
‘School’ will be similar in
content, format and principles to those already carried out by the National
Film and Television School and as demonstrated by Screenwrite
2, a school run in 1996-7 by the bfi in collaboration with British Screen focusing on black screenwriters .
The collaborators for this disability-specific equivalent of
Screenwrite will be the National Film and Television
School and the programme of workshops will include
introductions to agents, directors, producers and commissioning editors. (A copy of the outline of Screenwrite
2 is enclosed as Appendix 14.)
The ‘School’ will be residential (accessible local accommodation will be
used) thus, costs will be higher in order that the school can accommodate the
variety of disabilities of the
participants and to enable and minimise any specific access or learning needs
(i.e. wheelchair, sign language, Braille, large-print etc.).
Time Scale
Preparatory work will confirm
precise details of course content prior to the full public launch of the
project.
From January 1999, publicity
material will be disseminated and places will be advertised and allocated for
both workshops and feature script ‘School’ of workshops in the latter parts of 1999 and 2000 (for the workshops) and early 2001 (for the ‘School’).
* Only ONE bursary from each participating RAB or MDA will be
made available for each of the two years of workshops of short film development
- see Appendix 11 for letters of participation and financial contribution.
1 a) Workshop Outline
Workshops:
Selection of 10 writers for a series of three/four day seminars and
masterclasses (working with actors) prior to
the selection of two for
production.
Development & Production of Scripts
(Yrs 1- 2) - Total Cost = £84,711
(this figure incl. NFTVS costs as an in-kind contribution: £13,202)
The Workshops will involve 10 participants attending two separate sessions on short
film theory and scripting. Four will then go on to a two day masterclass with a
professional director and actors to realise their scripts. Finally, two will be
selected for actual production.
The remaining six unsuccessful participants not selected for the
masterclass will have a separate day for analysis and further development (i.e.
Training Needs Analysis). Any one
writer/director will not be permitted to do more than one production within the
project but if unsuccessful in the first year applicants may re-submit to the
second year's production plan. Equally any applicant may go through to the
feature script ‘School’.
Participants are given a facilitation grant for research and development once
selected for development with the final four successful scripts given a further
facilitation grant for completion of the workshops. Both the Workshops and the Script ‘School’ will take
place at the National Film and Television School, and be run, taught and organised NFTVS staff.
Schedule
April 1999 - Prepare combined tender document
and advert for production and regional surgeries in conjunction with relevant Regional
Arts Boards
weeks 1/ 2 Advert
in The Guardian, DAIL and Disability Now
week 3/ 4 Regional surgeries: identifying project aims, principles and
projected participants for short film direction/writing and
other project expectations at appropriate locations i.e. Regional
Arts
Boards and Media Development Agencies
week 10
Closing date for submissions. Select 20 candidates for interview
week 14
Interviews: select 10 participants (£1000 facilitation grant for
each
participant)
week 20 1 day workshop at NFTVS: format, style,
form and meaning
week 24
Participants deliver first
draft scripts
week 26 2nd 1
day workshop at NFTVS on overall script editing/realisation
week 28
Participants deliver second draft scripts
SELECT
FOUR SCRIPTS (a further £500 facilitation grant for
each
remaining
participant)
week 29 Script
editing for remaining four via tutorials
week 32
Participants deliver third draft scripts
week 33 2 day Masterclass writing/directing/using actors
week 33 1 day 'exit' Masterclass for remaining 6 un-selected for analysis and
improving
skills.
week 36 Participants deliver fourth
draft scripts
week 38
Selection of two of the remaining four scripts for production.
Final Script Editing
Followed by pre and post production of 2
selected shorts
(2 x 10 Week Productions spread over 17 Weeks)
week 42 - Pre-production:
Appointment of key personnel in collaboration
with writer/director team - Cast - Crew - Location Scouting - Location
agreements - Shooting script - Story-boarding - Location/studio finalisation -
Equipment - Insurance - Contracting -Catering - Budgeting - Lab/facility deal -
Costume Design - Scheduling
week 46 - 51 Rehearsals
(NFTVS);
Shoot (1 week) - Studio and/or
Location;
Post
Production; Completion/Delivery
Budget outline:
Workshops
Year 1 £ 41,322
Year 2 £ 43,389
Total
£84,711
Please see budget section - Section D - for detailed budget.
(Please
note: non-MDA/RAB's bursary funded applicants in workshops and school from
those areas covered by participating MDA/RAB's regions will have priority to
project funded bursaries over and above all others. In addition, short film productions will be made solely in
and by participants from MDA/RAB's committing in principle to contributing up
to £5,000 to short films.)
1 b) Feature Script ‘School’
Outline
‘School’: A feature film script ‘School’
for 8-10 disabled writers,
spread over 7 weekends during a 10 month period in the project's third
year (2001/2). Resulting in a
first draft feature script for each participant.
1 Feature Film Script ‘School’
(Yrs 2-3) Total Cost =
£69,309
(incl. NFTVS costs as an in-kind contribution of: £16,632)
The Feature Script ‘School’ is to be devised, co-ordinated, taught and hosted by the National
Film and Television School.
Schedule
April 2001
week 1 Advert in The Guardian, Disability Now and DAIL
week 3/ 4 Regional surgeries/seminar identifying project aims, objectives and
potential participants held at Regional Arts Boards and Media
Development Agencies.
week 12 Submit
feature script ideas for treatment workshops to work on
week 17 Interview 25
potential writers/directors.
Select 10 participants for Script School
(participants granted £1000 each to facilitate equality of
development learning and development teaching)
week 22 ‘School’ starts
Date
No. of days attendance
Content
Sept. 2001
2
Script
Treatment
October
2
Script
Treatment
November 2
Outline
December 2
Narrative
February 2002 2
Submit
first 30 Pages
April
2
Script
Editing
June
2
First
Draft
(‘School’ contact
time = 14 Days in total over 10 month period)
Budget Summary : Script ‘School’
Costs include: (see full budget - Section D- for full breakdown)
Script editing for ten
scripts x 3 sessions = 30
days Sub-total £3,000
Expenses for people attending
10 x two day workshops; a £2,500 travel and accommodation bursary per
participant to include -
a) Accommodation for two
nights x 7 Sessions for 10 people
(potential)
2 nights (£100) x 10 people
(=£1000) x 7 Sessions
(=£7000) Sub-total £7,000
b) Travel expenses (per
session of 10 people) = £1000
Total travel expenses x 7 sessions
Sub-total £7,000
(Additional costs covered in travel and
accommodation bursary includes: an enabler plus accommodation and travel;
subsistence; access particulars for individual participants; computer software
package for screenwriting.)
Full
Total £69,309
Please see budget section - Section D - for detailed budget.
(Please
note: non-MDA/RAB's bursary funded applicants in workshops and
‘School’ from those areas covered by participating
MDA/RAB's regions will have priority to project funded bursaries over and above
all others. In addition, short
film productions will be made solely in and by participants from MDA/RAB's
committing in principle to contributing up to £5,000 to short films.)
Budget Summary: Total for Workshops and
‘School’
Workshops Yrs
1 & 2 £84,
711
Feature Script
‘School’ Yr
3 £69,
309
2. Production
Content
The development and
production of 5 short films scripted, produced and directed by disabled people
in response to a tender document detailing the project's aims, intentions,
themes and entry restrictions - similar in format to other non-disability specific
projects such as New Directors that the bfi have previously undertaken (draft copy is enclosed in Appendix
13). The initial dissemination of
the production tender document, issued in April 1999 (and April 2000), will be
in response to advertisements for submissions in both the disability and
non-disability media and the project's promotional materials (see Marketing
Plan - Section C). The productions themselves and their development represent
approximately 68% of the overall project budget.
There will be two tender
documents issued over the three years of the project; varying in theme and
detail but not principle, responding to feedback from the previous year's
experience. Two short films will be made in year one, with three in year two. However, it is envisaged that
additional sponsorship money raised as the project progresses will enable the
production of three films in year one as well as year two.
Productions will require
varying degrees of development (depending upon individual experience); however
based on the experience of the bfi's Perception initiative (see Appendix 12) it is expected that there will be a need
for an above-average amount of pre-production work. It is this fact that links
the developmental workshops and ‘School’ to the productions. As each film will be scripted (a primary
condition of the production element of the project) and made by disabled
writers and film-makers, it is expected that any cost will be 10% above average
in order to facilitate and eradicate any disabling elements in the production
process.
Two disabled writers who have
attended the short film scriptwriting workshops (see workshops and ‘School’ sections
above) will graduate to having their script produced as a short film. It is thought likely that some participants
of the feature film scriptwriting ‘School’ will also have made, or be
making, a short film as part of the project.
It is assumed, based on
passed experience, that there will be some dual participation in different
aspects of the project given the probable and potential participants. There is
already enough recognised talent to develop or build upon in the disabled
community for this project to make a significant impact upon the industry both
creatively and in employment terms.
The content of each film will
be decided upon by its disabled writer, but the theme will not necessarily be
confined to disability per se; though, as part of the project's remit, the
films will be, from a disability perspective. This is a change from previous
projects for disabled filmmakers, artists and writers and one which will enable
them to explore wider issues of concern to them (see also Pointon's research in
Appendix 12).
By not insisting that
submissions from disabled film makers and writers are specifically 'about'
impairment but rather from a disability perspective, with themes that
have a strong resonance in the disability community, the resulting films will
be freely creative rather than shoehorned into a narrative straight-jacket of
the experience of impairment. One
of the perceived problems of the Arts Council of England's Disability Arts Video Project, and the
pilot bfi initiative Perception was their insistence that projects be 'about' disability - a
prerequisite that even members of their selection panels found tended to
ghettoise disabled people. No other specialist projects are rigidly restricted
to their intended participants physical abilities - New Directors (the bfi's annual short film
development programme) is broadly themed, but never prescriptive. Disabled film-makers and writers need
this project because of the problems of disablement which prevent their full
participation in generalised schemes such as New Directors, and do not need additional restrictions on their creativity. Equally,
by not insisting that the film proposals and productions are 'about' impairment
the project will encourage and develop a new audience avoiding the problems of
disability-made films, television and video being perceived as issued-based,
dogmatic and polemical.
This creative freedom ensures
that those who have made videos, television (i.e. Disability Programme Unit graduates from the BBC) and/or radio
programmes on disability can progress and develop a more creative use of their
imagination.
Though it is expected that
most of the films produced and developed will be narrative fictions, it is
hoped that other submissions will explore other forms of filmic expression e.g.
documentary, experimental or biography. One only has to look at the innovative
work of disabled people on television and video (e.g. Jo Pearson, David Hevey,
Tom Shakespeare and Jenny
Meredith) to see that this expectation has a real chance of being
fulfilled.
Each year's theme (an option
of two in the first and one in the second) has been inspired by the French
Revolutionary principles of fraternity, equality and liberty. As a call to cultural diversity, true democracy and citizenship, these
three principles have a resonance to disability in contemporary society. The themes are inspired by Krzysztof
Kielslowski's three features films titles 'Three Colours ...'; made between
1993-1994.
How will this be achieved?
The production element of the
project, will be an 'open competition' to disabled film-makers and writers
either on their own, in collaboration, or in partnership with a specific
production company. Tender
documents (see Appendix 13 for draft copy) will be advertised and issued in
April each year of the project so that those selected for participation can be
announced at the annual launch screening at the National Film Theatre (see Exhibition, following on from this
below). Submissions will be selected by a panel made up of Paul Darke (Project
Director), Steve Brookes (bfi Production),
Dick Ross (National Film and Television School) and specialists from the bfi Disability Committee and the film and
television industry. In addition, a short film specialist will be included on the selection
panel.
Advertisements will be placed
in the Disability press and The Guardian (see
Marketing Plan - Section C) with a series of regional seminars taking place at
Media Development Agencies and Regional Arts Boards (see Appendix 11 for
confirmation of participation).
These seminars/surgeries will be designed to ensure maximum awareness,
access to and information about the project within the disability arts
community and film-making worlds.
The seminar/surgeries will
also act as a way of getting interested parties together so that the host Arts Board or Media
Development Agency can disseminate appropriate information and clarify that the
productions need only be from a disabled perspective rather than about
disability. This point will need constant elaboration because of disabled
people's experience of working in the media to date and the desire to make the
project as open and accessible as possible. However, it is expected that a
proportion of productions will be about disability (from applicants own
choice).
As the project will run for
three years, there will be opportunity to feedback applicant's responses and
results into the project in subsequent years. Accordingly, the tender document
will be amended each year in content and theme though broadly based around the
notions of fraternity, equality and liberty.
On completion, the
productions will form the centrepiece for subsequent exhibition programme at RFTs events showcasing new work.
These events will develop new audiences for short films made by disabled film
makers and script writers. Further, ease of audience access will be as
applicable to the production's reception as it is to their production (i.e. the
consideration of sub-titling and audio-description for hearing and/or sight
impaired audiences). Access will be widened further by the entrance of
productions to both regional, national and international film festivals and
competitions (disabled and non-disabled).
Time Scale
Once the development stage is
complete, the short-listed projects will go into production. The development
process means that there is a possibility that some films developed one year
will not go into production until the following year and that not all projects
that are initially developed will go into full production. We would hope to develop 10 projects
per year in the workshops (see above) and
that a number of these will be submitted to other non-disability specific
project funds such as the bfi's New
Directors scheme, Regional Production Funds, European
initiatives and to mainstream production companies for further development.
In developing many more
production ideas that will actually be produced as films, the project will
fulfil its principle aim of creating a significant group of respected disabled
film-makers and writers impacting on the industry as a whole.
Budget Summary: Production ONLY
For two productions in year one
(1999/2000)
Total Yr. 1 = £110, 880
For three productions in year two (2000/2001) Total Yr.
2 = £174, 636
Total
= £285, 516
(See Budget Plan - Section D - for detailed
Production costings.)
The projected budget for each
production have been set (excluding disability access at 10% of costs,
management costs at 12% and inflation at 5%), at £45,000 based upon an industry average and existing bfi targets.
A number of Regional Arts
Boards (see Appendix 11 for supporting RABs) have
agreed to contribute £5,000 to a production
(in principle) made in their region by a film-maker from that region. A commitment that shows the national
significance and support given to this project.
Production Schedule
April 1999 - 2000
week 1/2 Advert in The Guardian, DAIL and Disability Now and
RAB newsletters
week 3/4 Regional surgeries/seminars
week 10 Closing date for
submissions, select 20 candidates for interview
week 14 Interview 20
candidates
week 20 First one day
workshops for 10 writers
week 24 Deliver
first draft scripts
week 26 Second
one day workshops for 10 Writers
week 28 Deliver
second draft scripts (Select 4)
week 29 Editing
of remaining 4 scripts
week 32 Deliver
third draft scripts
week 33 2 day Masterclass:
writing/directing/working with actors
1 day Masterclass for un-selected final 6
week 36 Deliver fourth draft scripts
week 38 Choose
two of the remaining four scripts for production.
Final script edit & introduction of tutor for two chosen.
Week 42 Pre-Production
Week 46 Rehearsals
Week 48 5-6 Day
Shoot
Week
49 Post-Production
Week 51 Completion/Delivery
3. Exhibition
Content
There are 2 sections to this element:
1.
Touring programme of films by disabled film makers and post-screening
audience
discussion;
2.
In-Service training for education professionals.
1. Touring Programme
An annual launch at the National
Film Theatre (NFT) in London, the first of which
(September 1999) will be the press launch of the entire project, with a
specially invited audience of
representatives from the industry, press, relevant disability
organisations and disabled individuals. The first programme will consist of a
selection of international short films made by disabled people. At this stage in each year the names of
the selected writers and short films to be developed by the workshops will be
announced with successful applicants in attendance.
At each launch event (in
September of 1999, 2000, and 2001) there will be a screening of all the films
to be included in the subsequent national touring programme. Each screening
programme will be followed by an audience discussion.
The exhibition programme
itself will be approved, as will much of the entire project, by a sub-committee
of the bfi Disability Committee, with external co-optees, (see Appendix 9, and management structure
pages in Section Nine in this section B) in collaboration with the Project's
Director. The attendance of a representative of the Director at relevant film
festivals will be crucial in programming the widest possible range of films and
in contextualising screenings (see Film Festivals below).
It is intended that these
national screenings will serve as a showcase for the work produced by disabled
film-makers during the project. The launch event and touring programme in the second
and third years will then, include a screening of the project's productions as
well as new shorts from other disability-oriented projects (e.g. The Arts
Council's Disability Arts Video Project).
The annual national tour
lasting approximately three months will visit 17 Regional Film Theatres (a network of independent cinemas who receive services and/or direct
grants from the bfi). The project
will provide generic pre-prepared publicity (see Marketing Plan) detailing all
screenings and events for use by each participating RFT to distribute.
2. In-Service Training
At each regional venue, in
collaboration with the RFT's own education
staff, a leading disabled artist and/or film-makers (i.e. from that region's Disability
Arts Forum) will be invited to lead a dedicated
education event on disability and the media. In Year 1 of the project the
dedicated education event will address further and higher education
professionals and those involved in adult education using, as a framework, the bfi Publication Framed (1997); in Years 2 & 3 the audiences will be, respectively, primary
and secondary school teachers, using as a framework for the event, the
project's education publications, a teachers' pack and video for secondary
schools and a booklet for primary schools.
The costs of the dedicated
education event part will be funded, except for the production of the teacher's
pack and video, by the RFTs themselves
having been provided with the tour materials and generic publicity material by
the project. (See Appendix 11 for RFT commitment to events and Budget Plan - Section D - for costs.)
These two separate events, In
Service training sessions and post-screening discussions are all part of the
educational foundation of the project within a mission to inform and encourage
new young audiences to engage with issues around disability and the media.
How will this be achieved?
Mark Adams, Head of Programme
Planning at the National Film Theatre, has already
agreed to host the launch event and screening each year, and commitment has
been received from participating Regional Film Theatres to host the touring programme and events. (Details in Appendix11.)
The primary organisation and
cost of the screenings and educational event will be undertaken by the
individual participating RFTs as part of
their cultural diversity and open access policy. However project itself has a
commitment to covering costs of generic publicity, rights payment for the
exhibition tour, carriage and insurance, and bfi personnel costs to attend events.
Contact will be made with
participating venue's regional Disability Arts Forum (DAF) to encourage their collaboration in their region's education event.
Brokering these connections will encourage future collaborations between the RFTs and their regional disability arts forum (DAF). This will be a key
element of the Project Director's job (and particularly given his positions as
co-ordinator the West Midlands Disability Arts Forum and as a Board member of the National Disability Arts Forum (NDAF)) to ensure this project is organised, run and participated in by
disabled artists, writers and film-makers.
A small number of RFTs are already addressing the issue of disability in their cultural
policy and programme; Watershed in Bristol, Broadway in Nottingham, Tyneside Cinema in
Newcastle and Chapter Arts in Cardiff have
variously held disability events/festivals or seasons but without the level of
support and back-up this project will provide. However, it needs to be stated
that the majority of participating RFTs have
never held any kind of disability event.
In addition these proposed events will specifically target education
professionals as a way of addressing a new, young audience back in the
classroom.
Film Festivals
The Project Director will
attend selected disability specific film and art festivals in UK (also Europe
and elsewhere if additional funding found) in order to identify relevant short
films for inclusion in the exhibition programme; festivals such as the 2nd
Festival Europeo Cinema Handicap, in Italy, and
the 2nd International Kurzfilmfestival 'Wie Wir Leben', in Munich (held in October and November of
1997 respectively). (See Appendix
16 for copy of Wie Wir Leben programme).
Others festivals in the UK, e.g. The London Film
Festival and The British
Short Film Festival, that include
disability-specific shorts will be attended. It is envisaged that the films
produced by this project will enter other national and international festivals.
The current Arts Council
of England's Disability Arts Video Project - run in 1998 by the West Midlands Disability Arts Forum (see letter of
support in Appendix 10) - will also provide films for inclusion in the touring
programme potentially attracting an element of additional finance for publicity
material. The necessity of a
concerted, consistent and regular exhibition programme, with targeted
marketing, is fully demonstrated by the problems faced by the Arts Council
of England's Disability Arts Video Project. In the years that it has been running (three sets of productions have
been funded with a fourth imminent) the number of screenings nation-wide for
individual productions (including London) is a maximum of three with the
majority never receiving a big screen debut.
It must be made clear that The
Arts Council of England's (ACE) project is quite
different in style, content and budget to the proposed bfi scheme: ACE maximum per video budget is
£15,000, out of a total project budget of £60,000 per annum. In
addition it excludes drama and
fiction pieces and was primarily constrained by its aim of being 'about'
impairment/disability arts practice and activity rather than film-making.
Time Scale
All participating RFTs have committed to the project (see Appendix 11). The Project Director
has made a presentation to COMEX (The Consortium
of Media Exhibitors) Education Officers Group where support was comprehensive
for the project.
Immediately following the A4E
decision the process' of programme selection for year 1 will begin; dates
confirmed with venues; and publicity materials prepares. The distribution of promotion materials
to RFTs at least one month prior to their
screening/educational event. Similar time scales will be followed in subsequent
years.
The preparation,
commissioning and distribution of marketing materials is to be undertaken by
the Head of Regional Publicity Unit at the bfi, Alan Gregory. The organisation and bookings of the screening programme
will be the responsibility of the bfi’s Central Booking Service, currently represented by Briony Hanson. RFT liaison, disability organisation, networking and advice will be the
responsibility of the Project Director in collaboration with each individual RFT and with the bfi Regional
Education Officer Louise Anderson. Selection of the programme will also be
co-ordinated by Paul Darke, the Project Director, in conjunction with the
programming committee as outlined above.
Budget Summary: Exhibition:
Year One £25,226
Year Two £25,815
Year Three £28,028.
Total Cost =
£79,069
(Please see budget section for detailed
Exhibition budget.)
4. Education Publishing
Content
There are two sections to
this element of the Project: the commissioning and publication of a teachers'
pack with accompanying video aimed at Secondary School pupils/teachers; and a
Primary School pupil and teachers' booklet on disability and film.
(See following pages - 43-45
- for an indicative outline of Publications' aims and objectives as envisaged
by the bfi's Principal Education
Officer Cary Bazalgette - the Institute's lead officer on this element of the
project.)
The teachers' pack will
comprise a 50,000 word A4 booklet containing black and white stills with
accompanying 90 minute video containing a variety of film clips for use with
the teachers' book and pupils' worksheets. The pack will follow the model of
those currently produced by bfi
Publishing, for example Film in Victorian Britain and Teaching African Cinema.
It will be written, by a
variety of authors managed by Cary Bazalgette, and laid out with a clear and
comprehensive exploration of disability and film, aimed at National
Curriculum Key Stage 4 English, as well as addressing
issues in A Level Syllabus General, Media/Film Studies, English and Social and
Political Sciences.
The teachers' pack will tie
in to the RFTs' educational events during
the exhibition tour attracting a wide range of school teachers. The pack continues the process of developing a new audience for the future
not only for disability films but for film in general. In addition it will act
as a significant tool of social understanding and education. These teaching resources will be
published by bfi Publishing and will not solely educate young people about disability but also
about film. The nature of films and film-makers' use of disability is as
revealing about the structures and industrial practices of film as they are
about general social attitudes and practices in relation to disabled people.
The teachers' pack will explore these issues and develop further the previous
work done by writers in the bfi book
Framed.
No disability publications to date have been so pro-actively used as
those proposed in this project.
The Primary School booklet
will be written for use in teaching 'able' and disabled children about
disability from a social perspective.
It will be a 24 page full colour A4 booklet and will be used in the
second year of the RFT's touring programme as the basis of educational events for Primary School
teachers. 40,000 copies of the booklet will be used at the educational events
and then distributed free to all Primary Schools in England.
How will this be achieved?
Richard Reiser (co-ordinator
and founder of Disability in Education and the 1
in 8 Group ) has agreed to lead on and co-write the
teachers' pack. Richard is not only a leading figure in disability inclusion in
schools, but also the leading activist and thinker on the issue of film and
disability and a former disabled secondary school teacher. Another two disabled
writers with specialisms in the National Curriculum and an appropriate A Level
syllabus will also collaborate on producing the pack. A writer and educational
professional with a knowledge of disability and film and its use in the primary
classroom will also contribute to the booklet's production.
As a senior member of the bfi's specialist education staff, Cary Bazalgette, will ensure that expert
advice on the issues of teaching the media in the classroom is available to the
authors and fully incorporated by them.
Time Scale
The teachers' pack and the
booklet will go into development as soon as a positive A4E application result is known. The Primary booklet will be ready for use
in the project's second year and the teachers' pack will be completed and ready
for use the following year.
The publications will be
marketed and available throughout the touring exhibition programme and events,
but will also be made available through the bfi Publishing catalogue.
In order to promote the pack
and the booklet - which will be free - and the educational events at which they
will be used marketing will take place in selected teaching professional
journals and newspapers. The time
scale of this marketing will be appropriate to the publication and events dates
(see Marketing Plan - section C - for further details).
Budget Summary: Education Publications
Primary Booklet
Year One
£29,288 (incl. marketing)
Secondary Teachers' Pack Year
Two
£36,119 (incl. marketing)
Total Cost
£65,407
(Please see budget section - Section D - for
detailed budget for this element.)
Publications' Aims and Objectives
(indicative)
as outlined by Cary Bazalgette - bfi Principal Education
Officer
Primary Booklet
This booklet will be sent
free to all primary schools with the aims of alerting them to the possibilities
of exploring disability issues through film.
The booklet will have 3
sections:
1 Introduction:
outline of key issues; learning outcomes; how these relate to
current
curricular requirements in England and Wales, Scotland, and
Northern
Island; what this booklet provides.
This section will also include
some
facts and figures about disability and 'what is disability and
impairment?'.
2 Start
Now! A series of short exercises
in analysis and discussion which will
be
fun and easy to do but will also enable both teachers and pupils to
explore
questions of representation such as 'how do we know this is meant
to
be true?' and does a character's appearance tell what sort of person they
are?'. Advice on how to study short sections
of moving image material will
be
provided, as will photographs and film stills for discussion. All of this
section
- including the stills - will be photocopiable.
3 Resources:
an annotated list of films and video material that can be used to
focus
attention on disability topics and disabled film-makers, which are
suitable
for use at primary level.
Annotations will include production
information
and suggestions for preparatory and follow-up work. Also a list
of
regional disability arts/education organisations will be included.
Secondary Teaching Pack
This teaching pack will
consist of a video compilation and accompanying teachers' book, which will
include photocopiable worksheets.
It would be aimed at teachers of English and Media Studies at Key Stage
4. The book and tape will have matching covers and
will be available together; additional packaging (e.g. boxes) is expensive and
unnecessary. The book will be
illustrated with stills from
relevant films.
The video compilation will
consist of a series of 5 - 10
minute extracts from a wide range of feature and short films; the choice and
range is vast - from comedy to horror, and mainstream to the avant-garde - and will be dependent upon the pack's disabled authors' selections
and availability.
The teachers' book will have
8 sections:
1 Introduction:
rationale for teaching about and with disability orientated
films;
relationship to the English curriculum in England and Wales, Scotland
and
Northern Ireland; relationship to Media Studies syllabus topics such as
Representation,
Audience and Institutions. This
section will also include
some
facts and figures about disability and 'what is disability and
impairment?'.
2 History
of Disability in British Cinema - highlighting any intra-UK
specificity's;
a 5000 work illustrated essay with numerous specific film
references
which will enable teachers to use their own video collections and
off-air
recordings to supplement the teaching enabled by the pack, as well as
gaining
a clearer understanding of the issues involved and possible learning
outcomes.
3 Production/Distribution
Case Studies: of one recent/new feature film and
one
short film by disabled
director/writer and/or dealing with disability -
extracts
will also be included on the videotape.
(It is hoped that the short
film
discussed will be one of those made on this project and that the feature
will
be a ACE funded one).
4 Exercise
in Analysis: series of detailed classroom projects relating to
material
on the videotape, showing how pupils can undertake close analysis,
write
their own critiques of specific
extracts, and undertake follow-up
exercise
of their own; for example, re-scripting a short scene to shift the
emphasis
in a required direction (e.g. a medical perspective to a social one).
It
is hoped that the videotape will include uncut rushes (perhaps even
including
specific 'alternative' shots/scenes shot by one of the productions
made
by the project) of a short scene so that pupils could use them for
editing
exercises, amongst other film related exercises. Alongside of this
will
be an exercise - relating back to the history essay - on the implications
of
using and exploring differing impairments (Representation,
Diversity
in Difference, and Audience etc.).
5 Promotional
Exercise: a range of print and still image material relating to
one
of the films on the videotape, which students have to select from and
add
to as part of the process of thinking through how films could be best
promoted
to a specific or to explore questions such as 'how do you engage a
wider
audience's interest in a film about disability?'.
6 Production
Exercise: a series of production briefs for creating short (i.e. 30
second
maximum) video or multimedia sequences, e.g. a trailer, a title
sequence,
a public service announcement, a television commercial, a pre-
credit
sequence, an insert for a new news or current affairs programme. For
those
with less equipment an expertise, one of the extracts on the videotape
will
be completely silent, for students to dub music and or commentary.
Also
in this section there will be a sub-titling exercise to explore this as an
access
issue in relation to Deaf people.
7 Resources:
as for Primary Booklet, but a wider range of film material and
sources,
a tighter curricular focus for annotations with thematic divisions for
impairment
and content areas for discussion (e.g. disability and sexuality).
Also
a list of regional, local and national disability media/arts organisations,
publications
and individuals, publications, television and radio programmes
(etc.).
8 Vocational
Advice: resources and possibilities for students - especially
disabled
students - to gain access to study and career paths in media (i.e.
Mediable,
et al).
Identification of schemes and initiatives for disabled
people
in relation media.
5. Staff Training & Access Programme
Contents
a) Staff Training
The provision of advanced
disability awareness training for bfi, RFT and project staff is essential to increase
the recognition, take-up and validation of the intellectual and creative skills
of disabled people in the bfi and bfi-supported work. A bfi Staff Disability
Training Programme will ensure better access for disabled people to bfi services and staff including project staff.
Without this training element
there would be a gap in the project's commitment to real change on disability
access. The aims and objectives of the project are to have a significant long-term
impact not only within the bfi itself but
nationally with its existing and current partners. This element of the project will ensure that in the daily
workings of all bfi staff, disability
issues will, in future, be given educated and well-informed consideration. One of the primary objectives will be
that all future work undertaken by each bfi Division will include a consideration of disability and access issues.
This element is closely linked to the Project's exit strategy (Section Ten
below) ensuring that its achievements are fully integrated into the work of the
bfi in the long-term.
Each part of this training
and access programme has been identified by an initial overview training needs
analysis (TNA) - based on looking at training carried out by the bfi during the last few years - carried out by the Project Director whilst
the project has been in development.
A more specific, and participant based led TNA will be carried out once
the project is approved and the precise individuals who will participate in the
training identified. As the
project is a disability-specific project all training will be
disability-specific and project related.
Each participating organisation (the bfi, the NFTVS, the RFT's) have their own training programmes which deal
with their conventional, mainstream, training needs. Thus, this training will be additional training for
participant's over and above that which they already receive.
The training is aimed at
building and further improving the bfi's commitment to understanding disability issues and working towards
inclusive working practices both within the project and the organisations
working with it.
How will this be achieved?
In each year of the project,
starting in May 1999, there will be a two day disability training session at
the Institute of Management for all senior management staff at the bfi and National Film and Television School involved directly with this Project. The aims of the training will be to explore issues affecting the
exclusion of disabled people from the bfi and the NFTVS while the objectives are to
create effective equal opportunities practice which challenges divisional
exclusion. Training sessions will also explore differing models of disability
as well as models of good practice in relation to the Disability
Discrimination Act.
Although disability is
included as part of the bfi's induction
sessions for new staff, many of those managing the project will not have
undergone any such training due to their length of service. In addition the
training will be of a greater depth than would usually be offered on a one day
course.
At each one-day training
session there will be time for feedback both on the project and the actual
training day. The depth and
intensity of the training will increase over the three years of the project
with new participants being fully briefed and informed by the Project Director.
The training programme will
utilise the bfi's own training budget
ensuring that the long-term benefits are felt throughout the organisation;
costs being relative to industry training standards. All training organisation
and delivery will be the responsibility of the bfi's training manager, Stephen Filby. As a direct result of his involvement with the development
of this project, Stephen has, from January 1997, already added specific
disability and media related issues to new staff induction sessions.
Concomitant to the above,
each year there will be a two day regional training seminar which will also
include a feedback session for RFT staff. Initially these training sessions
will take place prior to the first series of screenings and educational events
briefing staff on access issues and creating a sense of unity and coherence
within the sector.
In years two and three the
intensity and depth of these sessions will increase and will be the key to
ensuring that feedback from the exhibition tour is effectively incorporated
into subsequent touring programmes.
Although the bfi has recently run a disability training event for RFT staff it was not directly linked to any specific service or event but
was rather concerned with the legislative demands of the Disability
Discrimination Act. In addition staff changes
at RFTs mean that many who of those who attended
this event have subsequently left the organisation. It should also be noted that the bfi have no plans to mount a similar training event either in the short or
long-term other than that carried out as part of this project. That the Disability and Film
Project training events will also act as project
centred events makes them both essential and quite different from anything that
has previously been run by the bfi.
All the training sessions for
staff will be run and facilitated by an independent disability training
specialist, Susan Williams, the London Institute's (London's art colleges and schools) disability specialist who is also
a practising disabled artists and film-maker with strong links in both the gay
and disability community.
Budget Summary: Staff Training & Access
Programme
Year one
£5,712
Year two
£5,998
Year three
£6,297
Total
£18,007
b) Access Equipment
This element involves
measures to make the Project and the bfi truly accessible to disabled people and
necessitates purchasing specialist computer equipment with video phone
capabilities, a Braille Embosser, translation software and two minicoms. The minicoms will be placed in the
offices of the Project Director in Wolverhampton and at bfi central offices (with the Embosser) in London where all other project
staff are based. Equally, it will allow effective communication between the
Project Director from his base in Wolverhampton and its London based manager at
bfi Production.
It must be stated that all
elements of the project will be fully accessible both in their physical
location (with the exception of a number of Regional Film Theatres who are developing access programmes) and their access to communication
and suitable project materials. There is provision (in management costs) to
ensure that materials are available in large print and that sign language or
any other communication requirements are available as and when necessary for
all parts of the Project.
Minicom, Braille Embosser,
translation software and computer equipment will
be required immediately and will be the responsibility - to buy - of the
Project director.
The equipment (see above)
will be available for use on other bfi-related work both internally and by external individuals and
organisations who need to access the bfi resources or contact project staff specifically.
Total
equipment costs =
£12,778
(See Budget Plan for detailed costing.)
Overall
Project Calendar - Indicative Outline
Date Action Element
1998
March Submission All
September Result All
September Dissemination
of Result All
October Management
Meeting All
Allocation
of Dates / Duties / Action All
November Preparation All
Purchase
Equipment Access
1999
January Preparation All
Steering
Group Meeting All
Marketing
Preparation Prod.
/ W'shop
April Steering
Group Meeting All
Launch
of Marketing for 1st Productions Prod.
/ W'shop
Seminars
at RABs Prod.
/ W'shop
Marketing
Preparation Exhibition
Commissioning
of Publications Publishing
May Training
(bfi Project Staff) Training
June Training
(external Project Staff) Training
July Marketing
for Exhibition Started Exhibition
Steering
Group Meets All
September 1st
One Day Workshop W'shop
/ Prod.
Launch
at NFT of 1st Exhibition Tour Exhibition
1st
Exhibition Tour Starts at 17 RFTs Exhibition
Steering
Group Meeting All
October 2nd
One Day Workshop W'shop
/ Prod.
December 1
and 2 Day Masterclasses W'shop
/ Prod.
2000
January Preparation All
Steering
Group Meeting All
Marketing
Preparation Prod.
/ W'shop
Commission
first 2 Productions Prod(uction)
February 1st
Exhibition Tour (with ed. events) Ends Exhibition
April 1st
Productions Completed and Delivered Production
Publications
Completed and Delivered Publishing
April Steering
Group Meeting All
Launch
of Marketing for 2nd Productions Prod.
/ W'shop
Seminars
at RABs Prod.
/ W'shop
Marketing
Preparation Exhibition
May Training
(bfi Project Staff) Training
June Training
(external Project Staff) Training
July Marketing
for 2nd Exhibition Started Exhibition
Steering
Group Meets All
September 1st
One Day Workshop W'shop
/ Prod.
Launch
at NFT of 2nd Exhibition Tour Exhibition
2nd
Exhibition Tour Starts at 17 RFTs Exhibition
Steering
Group Meeting All
October 2nd
One Day Workshop W'shop
/ Prod.
December 1
and 2 Day Masterclasses W'shop
/ Prod.
2001
January Preparation All
Steering
Group Meeting All
Marketing
Preparation Prod.
/ W'shop
Commission
3 Productions Prod(uction)
April Steering
Group Meeting All
February 2nd
Exhibition Tour (with ed. events) Ends Exhibition
April 2nd
Productions Completed and Delivered Production
Launch
of Marketing for ‘School’ School
Seminars
at RABs School
Marketing
Preparation Exhibition
May Training
(bfi Project Staff) Training
June Training
(external Project Staff) Training
July Marketing
for 3rd Exhibition Tour Started Exhibition
Steering
Group Meets All
September Launch
at NFT of 3rd Exhibition Tour Exhibition
3rd
Exhibition Tour Starts at 17 RFTs Exhibition
Steering
Group Meeting All
First
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
October Second
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
November 3rd
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
December 4th
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
2002
February 3rd
Exhibition Tour (with ed. events) Ends Exhibition
February 5th
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
March Steering
Group Meeting All
April 6th
Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
June 7th
(last) Weekend of Feature Script ‘School’ School
June End
of Project: All
September Post
Project Meetings: Steering Group All
Management All
Final
Report Compiled All
Post
Project Dissemination & Support Work All
Section Six
How the
Project meets the 5 A4E Objectives
Objective 1.
Encouraging New Audiences
to Experience High-Quality Arts Activity
·
Using the expertise of both the bfi and the project's disability and artistic director to encourage a new audience of educational
professionals, students, disabled artists and members of the general public who
will not previously have experienced disability on film or in an educational
context.
·
National press launch at the National Film
Theatre to launch national tour of short films made by disabled people to
promote awareness of project, its participants and disability in film.
·
Carrying out and promotion of a national
tour of screenings and educational events using existing and project produced
works taking place in venues without a history of similar screenings.
·
The national tour of screenings and
educational events at RFTs to be supported by education resource materials and
an appropriate marketing strategy, in order to ensure new audience development.
·
Media networking in disability, educational
and mainstream press.
·
Teachers' pack created for use in Secondary
Schools, and a teachers' booklet for use in Primary Schools, to promote
understanding of disability, with the aim to educate and encourage a new young
audience not to regard disability film making as either ghettoised or
uninteresting.
·
Promotion of Teachers' pack and booklet in
educational press to place project in the mind of a new audience for disability
issues.
·
Working with RFT staff to ensure dissemination of the project by
utilising local and national information and marketing networks and structures.
·
Seminars / surgeries at RABs, MDA and work
with RFTs will broker relationships between disabled and able-bodied
communities, audiences and funders.
·
Over a period of three years the
establishment of a network of screens promoting the work of disabled film-makers.
This objective would largely
be fulfilled by the Exhibition tour at the
Regional Film Theatres (RFTs). There would be an annual press launch
at the NFT funded out of project money.
The screenings link into an equal number of educational events at the
same RFTs that are holding the screenings; with a different educational
professional target audience each year promoted by the creation of a whole
range of marketing materials (i.e. 120,000 leaflets detailing screenings, 1500
posters and press advertisement and sustained press and media networking) which
will result in space in all media formats and by both the mainstream and
disability specific media (see marketing plan - section C).
The screenings and
educational events provide opportunities and encouragement to a new audience.
With the education publishing element of the project providing a long term
resources for schools and colleges.
By tapping into the RFT circuit, and having promotional surgeries at the RABs and film development agencies we will be able to promote the project,
in all its forms, to the 'regional arts' world and educational professionals
and the disability arts and politics movement.
The marketing of the project
will be led by an experienced and professional team co-ordinated by Alan
Gregory at bfi's regional publicity unit,
who will use the disability specific media in order to encourage social welfare
professionals to attend a screening in their region to keep up with the
changing face and perception of disabled people by disabled people.
The scope for the
project to reach a new audience is enormous given the scale of the planned
national tour, the teacher training and, indirectly, all those who benefit from
the resources the project will make available. In addition, the high profile of
the project and the eventual television screenings in years to come of the
productions will ensure that the final number of new audiences created for
quality disability made films is considerable.
In terms of audience
development the project will have a significant impact from its inception on
the basis that nothing like it has existed before; as the project matures the
audiences' acceptance and understanding of disability and film as mutually
attractive and a viable form of entertainment will develop and build.
The inclusion of annual
training feedback sessions where project team members as well the out-reach
workers at the National Film and Television School and RFTs - combined with the regular
liaison work done by the Project Director - ensures that monitoring is
effectively and expertly carried out to examine the success or failure of any
aspect of the project so that future steps can be taken to amend and take
account of lessons learnt by the project, its personnel and participants as it progresses.
Objective 2.
Encouraging and Developing
Participation in Arts Activities
·
The creation and running of Scriptwriting
Workshops and ‘School’ of workshops for disabled scriptwriters.
·
Educational placements and visits to
production locations to stimulate future activity.
·
Learning opportunities for disabled
filmmakers in both short film production and writing as well as feature script
writing.
·
The creation of two educational
publications and their inclusion in a national programme of in service training
for teachers. Resulting in those who attend the training sessions using the
education publications to make a positive choice to seek out and experience
films made by disabled people in the future.
·
The creation of an enjoyable and
stimulating event for attendance by as wide a group as is possible.
·
Professional and targeted marketing to
encourage full participation in the projects programme.
·
Providing clear aims and objectives which
are appropriate and realisable
based upon research and experience from within the bfi, the disability movement and the
teaching profession.
Encouraging and developing
participation in arts activity will be the back-bone of the project providing a
variety of workshops and a school
which will enable disabled people to learn from successful professionals
in the field. Out of the school
and workshops key individuals will be encouraged to write short and feature
film scripts to either first or later drafts. These individuals will be
encouraged to submit their work to production funds for completion.
The project will create new
opportunities for experienced and novice film maker providing training,
encouragement and advice. Although it is expected that the majority of
participants will have some creative experience it is hoped that a significant
number of newcomers will present themselves to the project.
Soliciting applications will
be carried out in the disability media as well as outside of it to ensure that
those who are disabled but generally disassociate themselves from other
disabled people are encouraged to participate in the project (see market plan -
Section C).
The professional in-put from
practising writers, directors and producers will ensure that the project
produces scripts of immense creative potential which will attract production
funds from a wide variety of sources and generate employment
opportunities for the participants.
Part of the Project
Director's role will be to attend the screenings and events to undertake a
continuing process of monitoring and evaluation ensuring that the project
develops in the most appropriate ways.
The ‘School’ element will be lead by the National Film and Television
School to ensure the highest quality of project
delivery as well as providing a vital link with the industry.
The regional seminars reveal
the project to be expressly pro-active in encouraging both new and practising
disabled film makers and writers to the project.
The promotional material for
the exhibition element also provides an opportunity
for all those not attracted in the conventional manner to gain access to the
project's other elements by filling in a tear-off slip included on the
promotional leaflet.
It is envisaged that some of
these elements of the project will attract additional funding (in excess to
that already garnered and required by A4E) from the European Social Fund, via Skillset and other possible ESF agencies for further and future project expansion.
As outlined above these
elements combined with the new work produced will provide the impetus for a
small but significant group - acting both as a vanguard and as role models - of
creative people with impairments to create a significant shift in their
employment possibilities and improve the overall acceptability, viability and
creative potential of disabled people in the industry.
Objective 3.
Getting More Young People
Actively Involved in Arts and Cultural Activities
·
Production of educational resources for use
in primary and secondary schools; and the promotion of existing higher and
further educational disability and film book (i.e. the Framed publication - see Appendix 17)
·
Running of short film development workshops
and a feature script ‘School’ which will attract and contain
predominantly under 30 year old applicants.
·
Educational events run alongside exhibition
tour screenings specifically aimed at educational professionals teaching young
people.
·
The existence of the project and its
contents will ensure that young disabled people in schools, colleges and institutions
will be inspired and encouraged to become actively involved; a whole new
generation of disabled film-makers and writers will be encouraged by the
project and the next generation inspired by them and it.
·
School (Special and Mainstream) visits
arranged to attend location sites to experience films in production.
·
Role models of talented disabled
film-makers and writers fostered and created by the project will prove
inspirational to young disabled people.
·
The project's productions may include
disabled children's participation.
It is expected that the
majority of applicants and eventual participants will be under thirty and that
this project will provide most with the first serious consideration of their
ideas from industry professionals - as in New Directors et al. In addition it will provide
development and training opportunities specifically geared towards disabled
people ensuring full and equal access.
Included in the teachers'
pack and booklet there will be a resources list that will help teachers to
encourage young disabled people to make contact with appropriate organisations
and individuals. Furthermore, the project will develop the idea that film is,
through this project (if successful) and access improvements at the National
Film and Television School, a realistic
option for young disabled people. In addition the education resources will
actively encourage school children to go and see disability films with an open
and enquiring mind.
Similarly, using Framed (see Appendix 17) as the framework of the first year's educational
events at the RFT's, targeted at further and
higher education professionals will encourage a new young audience to attend
and participate in disability and film events.
The project will offer
location visits for 'special schools' and school trips for disabled school
children. Equally, production opportunities will be created for individuals or
groups of young disabled people. The project will also create new opportunities
for disabled actors as we would expect a number of the short films made (and
the subsequent feature scripts) to be about disability specifically.
In summary the project will
pro-actively encourage young disabled people to participate by giving them
equal access and by acknowledging, on the basis of previous experience, that
most of the productions will be made and participated in by young people. In addition, using the exhibition tour as a framework to get disability
and film issues into schools ensures that the participation by young people in
future projects is ensured.
Objective 4.
Supporting New Work and
Helping it Develop its Audience
·
The production of 5 new and original short
films by disabled film-makers and writers.
·
The running of two short film scripting
workshop series and a feature script writing ‘School’ series of
workshops.
·
The creation of a network of exhibition and
disability short film distribution opportunities in order to promote disability
and film at a micro and macro level.
·
National and local marketing of the
productions throughout the three years of the project.
·
A national and touring exhibition of films
produced by the project and others in venues that have never, or rarely, had
such a selection of films/screening.
·
A press launch at the National Film Theatre
to herald the start of each new years exhibition tour.
·
A strategic advertising campaign at local
and national level to compliment the launch in the mainstream and disability
specific press to ensure attendance at screenings by disabled and 'able'
people.
·
The creation of a new teaching pack for use
in secondary schools which includes a new video of supporting film references;
and a booklet for primary school classroom use, to serve as an audience
development tool.
·
Making the developmental workshops and
school fundamental to the project ensures continuing support for future work by
disabled film makers and writers as well as being inspirational to other
disabled people.
The project's most
substantial commitment is given over to developing new work. A considerable
proportion of the planned budget is assigned to the production of 5 short films
by disabled film-makers over the three years of the project.
This new work will be
supported by the exhibition tour of screenings with the express intention of
attracting as many disabled people as possible to attend screenings; thus,
there will be a concentration of marketing in the disability press.
Furthermore, the tour will bring disability film making to places where
disabled people have often been 'left behind'. The project's marketing plan
clearly shows the project is not simply being carried out 'for' disabled people
but 'with' them both practicably, philosophically and politically as well as
being led by a disabled person.
Each element of the project,
the films, the teachers' pack and booklet, the feature film scripts, the
workshops and masterclasses - will be professionally developed, marketed,
produced and then distributed with the appropriate bfi project staff co-ordinating
and managing them ensuring all elements target and develop new and existing
audiences in an effective and professional manner.
Objective 5.
Building People's Creative
Potential Through Training or Professional Development
·
The creation and running of short film
development workshops and masterclasses in the first two years of the project.
·
The creation of a feature film script
development ‘School’ of workshops in the third year of the project.
·
The facilitation of opportunities for
disabled people to gain experience in a variety of artistic forms (film-making,
scripting, directing and producing) through the process of actual film
production.
·
Project staff training opportunities on
disability delivered by an experienced trainer.
·
Training sessions for Regional Film Theatre
staff dealing with educational matters on disability delivered by leading
disability trainers.
·
A series of education events to train
teachers to use teaching pack/video and booklet.
Training and professional
development is at the core of the entire project and on a number of different levels:
1. creating opportunities for disabled people to learn about film-making and
scriptwriting through progressive seminars, masterclasses and production
opportunities; 2. staff training for both internal project staff and Regional
Film Theatre and National Film and Television School staff will be tailored to
the professional needs of the individual participants and will be based upon
regular and participant based training needs analysis carried out by the bfi's training manager Stephen Filby as appropriate.
The brief training needs
analysis that has already been undertaken by Paul Darke - based on discussions
with the Institute’s Training Officer Stephen Filby about what the bfi already does and does not do - has been designed to assess the most
appropriate type of training that will not duplicate existing training. As
stated in the detailed project description the theme of training needed is
'disability' (the 'social model') based upon interviews with projected project
staff.
Although the training on
offer will not be accredited it is hoped that many who attend and participate
in training during the project will progress on to accredited courses Equally, the teachers and tutors who
attend the RFT educational events training will be encouraged to seek advanced
disability training courses such as those offered by Leeds and Sheffield
Universities.
The continued presence and
availability of the Project Director and disability consultant, Paul Darke,
will ensure the bfi's continuing
commitment to equality of opportunity and providing in-house training, advice
and representation on disability and film. It is essential that the Project
Director articulates his knowledge of disability from personal experience and
an understanding of the relationship between film and disability; bringing the
two together for a greater purpose of improving access for all..
Addtionality -
Ability - Viability - Relevance - Equal Opportunities
At the core of the project is
additionality; the bfi has never
undertaken a project of this scale, effort, and magnitude before, for disabled
people, either in whole or in part.
Equally, none of the project will proceed if the A4E funding for it is not approved as it is so genuinely additional to the bfi
that it has neither the resources nor the
disability expertise in-house to carry it out independently. The project will achieve a significant
number of goals currently outside of, but compatible with, the bfi's current remit.
The bfi has screened a programme of shorts at the National Film Theatre
previously, Freaks Out. This project takes Freaks Out as a pilot, developing it to a national scale and adding educational
events, a major marketing initiative, and a showcase for new productions on
film by disabled film-makers. The
lessons learnt from Freaks Out have been fully
incorporated into this project (i.e. providing an educational element as
an audience development
device).
Without this project,
disabled film-makers and writers are as isolated as ever. The additionality of the project will
not only be felt by disabled people but by the film industry also. Not only does the bfi not have the capacity to run this project without A4E support but no one else can or will carry out such a project in the
UK. Equally, no other organisation
could viably have the ability to carry out the project given its disparate but
inter-linked elements.
The bfi is a unique organisation; its range of activities and its ability to
combine education, production and distribution, and its links (to the Regional
Film Theatres, the National Film and Television School, as well as to the
Regional Arts Boards, a Media Development Agency) makes for an unparalleled
combination of expertise in marketing, programming, planning and resource
advice. Consequently, not only is
the bfi capable of delivering this
project, it is the only organisation in the country that has the
ability, skill, talent diversity and organisational and network structures to
undertake such a project effectively and efficiently.
The work that has gone into
developing the project, by creating new contacts and networks - both
institutional and individual - across the country, in the areas of film,
disability and education, and funding has meant that the holistic nature of the
project is so carefully woven together that it has created its own
impetus. This ensures that the
range of organisations either contributing to or participating in the project
make it viable and relevant to the local and national needs of those it works
with, for and in support of.
That the project has
attracted funding from a range of Regional Arts Boards, Media Development
Agencies, and partners such as the National Film and Television School, is a
clear indication of it matching regional and national arts development plans.
The project has, as its aim,
the re-evaluation of skills, potential, talent and position of disabled people
in society as a whole and in the film industry; thus it is providing
educational materials for school children as part of the project as well as
creating new works. Its assumption
that disabled people are an equal, valid and valuable asset to society in
general, and to film-making and creativity, is a fundamental part of those who
are running the project as much as to those who will participate in it. Its commitment to equal opportunities
(by creating opportunity and education on the issue of disability to society as
a whole) ensures that the project can be nothing other than equal in its
delivery. It is essential that the
project is accessed by a range of disabled people in order to be effective - it
will be inclusive of age, sex, race, gender and ability. Particularly positive will be the
inclusion of people with learning difficulties as they are one of the most
marginalised groups within the idea of disability.
The same principles of equal
opportunities will apply to all non-disabled people who access and participate
in the project where it is non-disability specific. The additional benefits, as outlined in this application, in
relation to improving intellectual and physical access to the film industry
both inside and outside of the bfi are
extensive and wide ranging.
Section Eight
Summary
of Educational Content
Education is at the heart of bfi activity; this project is its natural extension - an educational
project that seeks to educate disabled people about film and the non-disabled
about disability both as a rich community full of creative potential and as
equal members of an increasingly culturally diverse culture and society.
This is a brief indicative
summary of some of the key educational components of the project in order to
reassert the principles of education as a tool of social improvement and
individual and collective improvement.
·
The production of a minimum of five short
films over the Project written and directed by Disabled Film-makers/Writers as
part of participants' professional and educational development.
·
A number of school/educational location visits
during productions and, potentially, further participation by National Film and
Television School students overall.
·
A number of regional and/or nationally
significant short film surgeries, promoting the Project's
seminars/masterclasses and School per year.
·
Workshops on short film scripting and
participants' personal development.
·
A feature film script ‘School’ of
workshops.
·
3 film exhibition and education touring
programmes.
·
The promotion and use of an existing bfi publication (Framed) aimed at FE and
HE educational professionals for use with their students.
·
The promotion and induction of a bfi Education/Publication publication (teachers' pack with video) aimed at
Secondary School educational professionals for use with their pupils.
·
The promotion of a bfi Education booklet aimed at Primary and Middle School educational
professionals for use with their pupils.
·
Approximately 60 specialist sessions
throughout the three years of the project for educational events for primary,
secondary, FE and HE teachers at regional film theatres on disability and film
combined.
·
A programme of specialist staff training on
disability for project personnel both external to the bfi and internally.
·
Increasing access to bfi educational resources for disabled people through the promotion of this
bfi project, and, as such, the bfi, as 'disabled people friendly'.
·
Learning opportunities for National Film and
Television School staff and those of the Regional Film Theatres through the
process of holding and carrying out of various project elements but also in
specialist staff training run by the project.
Section Nine
Project
Management
Steering
Group/Advisory Group
bfi Senior Executive (tbc)
bfi Project Leader > bfi Management Accountant
(Steve
Brookes)
(Neal Trupp)
Project
Director & Disability Consultant
(Paul Darke)
bfi Officers responsible for
specific elements:
Alan Gregory Briony Hanson Cary
Bazalgette Steve Brookes Stephen Filby
Project Management
Structure
A management structure has
been devised which can flexibly and effectively accommodate the diverse
elements of the whole project but which can also maximise the possibilities for
creative dialogue between areas of activity. Synergy is a critical principle underlying the conception of
the Project. Overall responsibility
for the project will be taken by a senior manager of the bfi.
Day to day management
responsibility will be carried by the bfi's Project Leader, Steve Brookes, located within bfi's Production Division. The
project's Project Director and Disability Consultant, Paul Darke, will have an
overall editorial responsibility for the disability 'content' of the various
elements of the project and will ensure an adherence to the disability aims and
objectives of the project.
Both the Project Leader and Project
Director will work closely together during the course of the project and will
meet formally on a monthly basis in order to ensure the overall co-ordination
of the different elements, forward planning, budgetary reporting and the
monitoring process. Monthly budget
reports will be prepared by the Project Leader in consultation with a
Management Accountant from the Institute's Finance Division.
Quarterly meetings will be
held by the Project Leader and Project Director with the nominated bfi Senior Executive, in order to maintain a reporting and financial
accountability structure to the Institute as a whole and to provide a broader planning and monitoring
function. A schedule of quarterly
progress and financial reports will feed into this structure for bfi, and ACE, accountability and
reporting on the delivery of the project.
Responsibility for Specific
elements of the project will be carried by Institute Officers with the appropriate professional expertise and knowledge:
Marketing: Alan
Gregory (Regional Publicity Unit)
Exhibition Tour: Briony
Hanson (Central Booking Service)
Publications: Cary
Bazalgette (Education)
Productions Steve
Brookes (Production) in liaison with
and Development: Dick
Ross (of the NFTVS)
Training: Stephen
Filby (Personnel (Training))
Twice a year the Project
Leader and Director will call a project team meeting for reporting and planning
purposes as well as information and feedback exchange. The emphasis at these meetings will be
on ensuring the broad aims, objectives and themes of the project as a whole are
being maintained in an integral way across the specialised elements of the
project.
External agencies (e.g. RFTs, RABs, the NFTVS et al) with
whom there is an involvement will,
for management purposes, liaise directly with the Institute's Officer responsible for the appropriate element in conjunction with
the Project Director and Disability Consultant. To take an example: the production element which represent a
major collaboration between the bfi and the NFTVS will entail a liaison
between the school and Steve Brookes in his capacity as the production
specialist and Paul Darke the Project Director and Disability Consultant.
In addition to the above
management structure, it is intended to set up a Steering/Advisory Committee,
drawn partly from the Institute's own
Disability Committee, which brings together key disabled people with an
interest and expertise in disability and the media. Such a committee would not only have an executive function
within the project but would have an invaluable role in discussions of broad
policy issues, bringing with it a wider set of expertise and perspectives than
it is possible for the Institute alone to
supply in such a pioneering area of work with nation-wide as well and
pan-European significance.
Finally, a reporting
structure will be implemented to meet whatever specific requirements ACE may have in the event of a successful application.
Project Director -
Disability Consultant
Name: Paul
Darke
Job Specification:
Planning, strategy,
management and partnership co-ordination.
Supervision, support and attendance at all events and
workshops/school. Write and
produce assessments, guidelines, reports, questionnaires and a variety of
strategic documents (in collaboration with lead and appropriate officers) and
programme and assist in publicising exhibition events and screening
programme. Monitor progress and
process of project; qualitatively and quantitatively through liaison and the creation
of statistical monitoring forms.
Ensure disability empowerment and facilitation at all times and at all
levels.
1st Year 30
Days £7,500
2nd Year 30
Days £7,500
3rd Year 30
Days £7,500
Total £22,500*
(*Freelance fees of £250 per day.)
Expenses for the consultant
will be £2,000 per year due to travel costs in carrying out post duties;
both in travelling to the bfi and to other
sites around the country (Regional Film Theatres and Regional Arts Boards et
al).
Paul Darke's C.V.
Section Ten
Exit
Strategy
Once project application for
funding is submitted to Arts for Everyone we will begin to prepare various documents for use in the project (such
as the tender document for the production/development elements) and an 'offer
for corporate sponsorship' proposal document in order to raise additional money
for the project to do further additional things within it that are
intrinsically linked to the project (i.e. producing three productions in year
one instead of just two). This
will be done in collaboration with the bfi corporate sponsorship department headed by Gillian Gallagher.
Once sponsorship - which will
be in addition to the sufficient funds already secured for the Project in
relation to A4E - is secured, with a project of this size and scope, scale can
be substantially increased in all areas of the project: production, workshops and ‘School’, exhibition, publications and access and training. The relationships
established, as well as those already set up - e.g. with the RABs, the NFTVS,
the RFTs et al, will become the foundation
for future collaborations between the bfi, disabled people and the new film-makers and audiences that the project
will have created. The successful completion of the project will see at least:
·
the creation of 5 short films - written and
directed by disabled people;
·
upwards of 45 disabled people trained in
various elements of film production;
·
well over 50 screening of productions by
disabled people around Britain;
·
2 educational publications for schools with,
potentially, 10,000s of children exposed to new and creative ideas about
disability;
·
a nation-wide marketing exercise to
disseminate the project and the idea of disability and film and being
intrinsically linked at all levels;
·
bfi and project staff trained to encourage further disability developments
in the area;
and many other results.
Given the importance of the
project for the Institute’s future policy and allocation of resources in
the area of disability, an impact assessment will be carried out at the end of
the third year of the Project analogous to the research commissioned at the end
of the Perception project (see Appendix
12). The research will cover all
elements of the Project (production, exhibition, training, education etc.) and
will result in a document to be discussed not only by the Institute’s
Disability Committee but also by its management board and by the governing
body. Equally, it nation-wide
implications will be disseminate to all interested and affected parties as part
of that impact assessment analysis process.
Thus, this will provide a
substantial legacy on the back of which it is intended to develop further
projects and schemes both with disabled people and other minority groups; this
scheme will act as a nexus for those to come in the future both for the bfi and many others - especially those involved in the project such as the
RABs and the NFTVS. It is also
anticipated that the essentially pioneering work of the project will provide
additional spin-off activities, and opportunities, which cannot as yet be
predicted in addition to those outlined herein.
What is clear is that there
will be many areas of the project which will create opportunities for new works
of art as well as new areas of development. The exhibition strand of the project will, it is envisaged,
create an overwhelming demand for its own continuation from the RFTs; thus
placing a demand for productions to be created and training and development of
disabled film-makers and writers as essential for future productions. It is our hope that our exit strategy -
the attempt to raise even more additional finance through sponsorship or
partnerships - will secure that the productions made by the Project serve not
only to boost the opportunities of those involved in them but also that they
are collated in a video collection for public sale and offered for broadcast.
The training and access
improvements within the bfi, and the participating agencies, ensure that
disabled film-makers and writers are at the forefront of new thinking within
those organisations. Creating a
wind of change in the perception of disabled people throughout the bfi and participating agencies and individuals. The feature film scripts
which will be developed to first draft will, equally, ensure that disability
film-making and scripting is not restricted to the short film. The feature scripts will, as part of
the strategy, be supported in their continued development by the bfi (and participating groups) as part of our overall policy of nurturing
and building up new, young and challenging, talent in the 21st Century of British Cinema. This
will include linking such scripts to sources of development and production
funding (British Screen, ACE, Film on 4 and the BBC, et al) and their writers to
further training.
Taking account of the
progress and success and nature of the project we will aim to encourage and/or
set up similar projects (or elements of it) and to seek funding from their
national lottery arts boards in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
endeavouring to make European links to create similar projects based on this
one as a role model in either individual European countries or on a
trans-national basis.
As well as the above there
will be as a result of this significant and important project - combined with
other factors - improved physical access to the bfi, the RFT's, the NFTVS and a legacy of a number of disabled film-makers,
writers for short film production and development with a significant number of
feature scripts by disabled writers.
The access improvement will not only be physical but intellectual and
attitudinal, creating a perception change in relation to the disabled people
and film throughout the industry through their involvement, partnership and
attendance at the projects constituent parts.
A key part of the exit
strategy of the project in relation to the linking up of the bfi and the NFTVS, both within the initial development leading to execution
and post delivery, is the dissemination of the projects results to interested
parties across Europe and the world, who have interest of running a similar
project in their own country either on their own or in collaboration with
others. The NFTVS has already
identified a significant interest - see its letter of participation and support
for this project in Appendix 11 - from other film schools across east and west
Europe who are waiting to see how this project is run, delivered and what its
results are.
Training - perhaps the most
important development will be in the future relationship with the film school
(the NFTVS) which is keen to expand this work in collaboration with other
schools in Europe and to look at the possibilities for developing distance
learning packages. At the very
least we expect a course document to be published and widely available; the
school is currently discussing coverage of the workshops and development and
production process by documentary students with a view to making an historical
record of the experience which could itself be used as an educational tool.
The inclusion of disability
and disabled people with the main government funded film school of the nation -
the students will work with many of the disabled people trained and developed
by the project whilst they are at the NFTVS - will result not only in a new
creativity among the nation’s film and television makers of the future as
students at the NFTVS mix with disabled people on an equal basis in an
unprecedented way.
We expect that this project
will result in pan-European projects of disability film-making and writing
attracting and European Union money (e.g. Media II, or its successor scheme). Just as dissemination is vital in
respect of the entire project we consider this Euro-wide film school interest
as not only exciting and opportune but indicative of this project being a world
leader; a strategic project to demonstrate not only to ourselves but all those
who see us that we are a truly inclusive, civilised and leading nation who not
talk about equality and inclusion but practice it with tangible results.
In addition, we consider the
European film school interest referred to in the letter from Dick Ross, Head of
Curriculum at the National Film and Television School (see Appendix 11) as not
only opportune but also as indicative of how this project can be seen as a
benchmark initiative in England, the British Isles and, more importantly in
Europe as a whole. As just such a
pioneering project we anticipate that it will have a key role in defining the
minimum standards of opportunity and inclusion that should exist for disabled
people within the field of film in the future. The nation and Europe-wide interest, and hope, placed in
this project is a clear indication that the Project in itself is just such an
exemplary project for which the A4E Scheme was
designed to facilitate.
Potential Additional Funding Sources
An indicative list of potential, and as
such additional, sources of finance.
The following list is
indicative of potential additional (to those already outlined earlier and in
the budget section) sources of contributory funding for Project expansion both
within the three years of the Project as outlined in this A4E application and
after it. Some will be approached
for additional specific element development and promotion whilst others may provide services,
expertise, facilities, stock, accommodation (etc.) for additional parts of the
project. The list covers a variety
of internal and external departments and organisations, as well as national and
international, possibilities.
The bfi - bfi Production
bfi Finance
bfi Cinema Services bfi Library and Information
bfi Education
bfi Publishing
bfi Personnel (incl. Training)
bfi Sight and Sound
bfi Research
bfi Regional Development Unit Funds - General & Specific:
Regional
Exhibition Project Fund
Planning
and Development Budget
EU - MEDIA
II (III, IV) Programme of the EU
EUCREA
Horizon
Project
ESF
Other EU Sources: Disability/Media
Specific Programmes
A Broadcast / Film & Television Industry
Source -
Channel
4 (Independent Film and Video, and/or
Education)
BBC
(Film and Video - 10 x 10, Independent Commissioning
and/or Education)
Skillset
Regional
Film Schools (and/or relevant University Film Departments)
British
Screen
The
ARISTA Project
The
United International Pictures Charitable Trust
A variety of Charitable Organisations and
Individuals (Film, industry and ordinary)
Full, or Part Sponsorship Opportunity for a
large corporation with a history of
film or disability sponsorship such as LLOYDS or BARCLAYS Bank (etc.)
The Arts Council of England
Other National Lottery Panels - Charities /
Arts Council / Millennium
Section C
Marketing Plan
Marketing The Project
Disabled people have a 20%
more chance of being unemployed than non-disabled people. They also have an immeasurably higher
chance of failing to get into higher education due to a variety of access
barriers. Although there are
regional specific opportunities for disabled people being created in the media
they are often small in scale, operation and budget through no fault of those
running them.
The project will, through
targeting those that do run such schemes (i.e. Connections in London; regional
film schools; mainstream universities and colleges that 'do' film; and other
training centres across the country), hope to tap into the already existing
work that is being done and build upon it whilst also opening new avenues of
creative experience to a whole new, previously untapped, audience for a project
such as this in all of its elements.
A key way of identifying existing provision will be to send out a target
group questionnaire to all the RABs, the broadcasters, the Higher Education
Funding Council's and local authorities for them to identify existing
provision. Although this has been
superficially all ready carried out for the development of this project its
range and comprehensiveness (though not its results) was not as all inclusive
as it could have been.
The absence of any similar wide ranging programme (with the possible
exception of the Disability Arts Video Project) in the UK is itself an indication of the enormous gap in provision and
the huge potential for audience development.
Thus, the project will not
only exist to serve its own purpose but also create a comprehensive database of
interested, related and existing disability and media networks; making the
project in its marketing drive and research the largest national audit of its
type for the nation in relation to disability and the media in exhibition,
education, production, training and publications (which will all be collated in
the final report of the project for submission to the Arts Council of England
and all those who wish to have a copy.
It may even, if additional finance is found, become a research
publication itself.
As the bfi Publications' Framed demonstrates there are numerous and enormous
barriers to disabled people entering the media as both consumers, providers and
creative personnel. Again, through
linking in to existing opportunities (however small and rare they may be) we
would extend existing provision both in scale and reach.
As outlines below, our comprehensive
marketing strategy for each element, and the project as a whole, will ensure
that no one who wishes to participate in the project in any shape, size or
format will know about it an be given the opportunity to do so; be they
disabled or non-disabled where appropriate.
If one looks at the data
analyses in the research about Perception, by Ann
Pointon (see Appendix 12), the needs of disabled people has been assessed and
the results link very tightly indeed in to those provided by this project given
its scope, size and budget.
Equally, by seeking to raise additional finance to extend the scope of
the project from what is outlined in this A4E submission we will make it bigger
and better whilst maintaining the high standards herein set; the success of the
project ensuring its future continuance beyond the initial three years set out
in this application.
The project will be an
attractive proposition to mainstream broadcasters in the field of the arts
generally and cinema specifically as it is a major project which is the first
of its kind and one that will create finished products which can be easily
identified and explored by the media.
More significantly, in the
promotion of the project to potential participants in the production and
training elements the project will be of great interest and significance to the
Disability specific media and the disabled people who access that media. Not only are we interested in
attracting the over 16 years of age participant, but we will positively seek to
encourage those under 16 - through links to special schools and the promotion
of the entire project through the educational; publications designed for use in
the classroom. We see multiple
element promotion by each individual element as essential to attract the younger
disabled people of the community across the nation. By having the project exist, and promoted to them, it
ensures that their aspirations can and will be met by the project and the bfi in general as it develops in to the 21st Century.
It is hoped the project will
attract extensive national broadcast and print media interest. Each element, plus the project as a
whole, will have created a press pack for release at all available points and
through targeted press marketing to the mainstream, a press pack detailing all
elements of the project with relevant project personnel; it will give a history
of the project and outline what will happen over the period of the
project. Obviously, this will be
up-dated every year and its success evaluated against the interest that it
creates.
A number of broad sheets will
be approached among them The Guardian, The Independent and The Observer (key newspaper
with over a million readers that are renowned for their media coverage) as well
as some tabloids; as will a number of
BBC Radio Programmes including The Afternoon Show and Kaleidoscope (Radio 4). Where regional specificity's of the
project are appropriate key regional press information will be disseminated to
Independent Local Radio stations.
In addition the disability specific media will be exploited to the full
including journals like Disability Now, The Disability Times and Deaf News as well as
television and radio broadcasts LINK (ITV) Does He Take Sugar? and
In Touch (Radio 4). Equally the event will receive coverage
in the bfi monthly magazine Sight
& Sound as well as receiving editorial coverage in
the NFT and RFT monthly
brochures which both have extensive mailing lists.
With professional marketing
including press releases, strategically targeted invitations to the launch
events and coverage in the national press there will be specific publicity
material for each element of the project.
Thus, there will be dual approach to marketing; the generic national
promotion publicity material; and project and date specific marketing and
publicity. Equally, dual publicity
and marketing will take place to encourage audiences for specific elements and
to attract participants to the Workshops, Script ‘School’ and
Productions.
We would hope, through key
contacts and the identification of interested parties as they occur and/or are
identified, that the media - press, television and radio, interest group
magazines and journals, et al - will follow the project through the three years
of the project as it develops. The
media covering the developments and project achievements within the project,
and the different elements it combines, as they occur throughout the project.
NB. Compliance with all data
protection legislation will be strictly adhered to with a specific permission
box clearly indicated on all publicity material. All data collection and
collation will be undertaken by the artistic director and the Regional
Development Unit.
What follows is an
indication, which is in no way comprehensive of element specific promotion and
marketing:
Workshops and
‘School’
Advertisements will be placed
in a variety of disability specific publications. Information releases to
national disability and arts organisations (NDAF, DAFs, Regional Arts Boards will be produced by bfi Production
(Steve Brookes) in collaboration with the artistic director. The information
releases will ensure that the relevant disability and arts organisations are
contacted and kept informed.
Strategically, the project will ensure in particular that NDAF is provided with details to disseminate in their news letter and on
their Internet site.
The creation of a press pact,
press releases and a detailed contact sheet for further information and
elaboration.
Target press releases to film
related schools for passing onto their existing disabled students; and to
encourage them to take disabled students in future. thereby attracting young disabled people.
Production
bfi Production will produce a tender document in years 1 & 2 of the
project for submissions for production. advertisements will be placed in the
national and disability specific press. Information will be distributed to
those who respond to the advertisements placed in key publications and mailed
out directly to potentially interested parties such as NDAF, the DAFs, RABs, RFTs, film schools and
courses. (A sample tender document
is enclosed as an Appendix 13).
Promotion will based on
existing bfi practice as well as new
disability specific marketing and networking so that as wide as possible
dissemination for the target group is achieved.
NB. Costing for Production
publicity is included in the Workshops' budget rather than the Production
budget itself as detailed in the budgets section. In addition publicity costs for the touring programme of shorts
are costed in the exhibition section as one of the primary aims of the
exhibition tour is to promote the productions made by the project.
Exhibition
The project includes annual
production of 500 eye-catching generic posters and 40,000 brochures with a matching
cover design containing details of screening information request slip for
distribution to participating RFTs, disability
organisations, Media Development Agencies and Regional Arts Boards(120,000 brochures in total). In addition Regional Film Theatres will produce their own in-house, venue specific publicity material which
will be distributed through targeted mail shots. Brochures will also be
distributed to relevant disability organisations, agencies and interested
parties.
Any one who requests information
will automatically receive details of other elements of the project.
An advertisement will be
placed in a national newspaper and disability publication to coincide with the NFT launch event in September of 1999, 2000 and 2001. The brochure, poster and national
newspaper advertisements (in The Guardian, Disability
Now, Disability Times and DAIL) will all be produced by bfi Regional Publicity Unit.
In addition there will be an
annual press release to relevant agencies, organisations and publications
detailing how films can be submitted for possible inclusion in the touring
programme. This part of the
marketing will be undertaken by the project's artistic director and Briony
Hanson of the bfi Regional
Development Unit liaising with the RABs and RFTs.
(For costing see Budget Plan
- other additional costs are included in Management costs.)
Educational
Publications
The press releases for the
publications will be produced by the project's Artistic Director with generic
publicity material produced by bfi Education
and included in the bfi's publishing catalogue. Although primary marketing of the publications
will be occur during the educational events they will be advertised in
specialist educational publications like the Times Educational Supplement and Higher Education.
Marketing costs are outlined
in the Budget Plan but are broadly in line with other bfi publications.
Further information on
the Marketing Strategy
It is the aim of the
marketing strategy to target specific audiences for the various different
elements of the project (as well as disabled and non-disabled participation
across the board where appropriate) encouraging audiences to attend disability
screenings and engage with disability specific issues as well as making the
production and development process of film making as accessible as possible to
disabled people themselves.
A detailed marketing strategy
will be developed for each distinct element in relation to the whole by Alan
Gregory and Paul Darke once project is approved; which will be reviewed as it
happens and in specific relation to each specific element and year that it is
carried out. the precise nature of
the pan-project promotion and how it links exactly into each elements promotion
will be carefully examined, considered and accounted for as the marketing in
its execution is produced. So that
for example the promotion of the educational publications in educational
publications which are specifically targeted at primary and secondary school
teachers will coincide with the exhibition event (obviously) but also carry
other elemental facts for consideration.
Combined with this we would seek to garner editorial space on the
project as a whole to doubly promote the project in total to show that any
individual user of the project in any form may, and can, access its delivery at
other advantages points with quite distinct objectives and aims to how one
first came across the project.
On the basis of previous
experience at regional venues and the NFT targeted
publicity, is crucial if the project is to succeed. Consultation with the
programmers and education officers at a number of RFTs who have hosted disability film seasons or screenings (notably at Watershed in Bristol, Screening Lies 1995 and
the NFT, Freaks Out 1996) identified that this type of event was
not as successful as had been hoped due to limited publicity. Audience figures
for these screenings were exceptionally low and most lacking any coherent
structure made no significant impact on audiences nor the filmmakers themselves.
The key to the difference
between the success of our project in attracting high, quality audiences, is in
both the marketing (in appropriate and numerous media a significant period
prior to actual elements happening) and the inter-connection between elements
that will ensure that each promotional push for one part will link the rest of
the project both practically and promotional. In combination with the fact that the project will be
continues over a three year period - creating a roll-on roll-on promotional
effect - will ensure that it will almost become a self promoting project due to
its continues exposure in a wide variety of mainstream and disability specific
media (in all forms).
A concept design for use on
all generic publicity material and any additional project material (e.g.
publications) will create a brand image for the project. Creating a brand
image, it is hoped, will increase both audiences and participation by giving
the project a professional 'look' that no other disability media event. In
addition throughout the three years of the project a coherent and professional
look and approach will be maintained.
There follows an indication
of some of the realities (specificity's) and factors which will be relevant and
utilised in finalising the marketing based on a full assessment of attracting
audiences and participants for all the elements.
Audience and
Participants
Workshops and
‘School’
·
All participants to be disabled.
·
As many tutors/writers etc. as possible to be
disabled (as few exist this is an ideal rather than a potential reality).
·
Participants chosen through selection process
chaired by project's artistic
director and comprising significant disabled and film specialists from bfi Production as well as representatives
from NFTVS, the RABs and NDAF.
·
Promotion and participation application forms
advertised in national press and a variety of disability media sources -
especially those with a under 30’s profile.
Production
·
Productions will be written, produced and
directed by disabled people.
·
The projects productions will form an integral
part of the touring exhibition programme providing new film material to
audiences
·
Writer/Director teams will be encouraged (as
in the model that it follows New Directors) so that
supporting long-term partnerships can be forged increasing the potential impact
of the project on the industry.
Exhibition
·
The NFT launch
will comprise an audience of invited individuals from disability arts
organisations and representatives from the film industry. As the annual launch event to promote
subsequent regional tour it will necessarily have a high profile with participating speakers possibly
including Government ministers, bfi Board
Members, Arts Council representatives and, where possible, film industry professionals
that are high profile that will ensure media coverage.
·
The regional touring programme will encourage
a new, young audience to address the issues of film and disability. In addition
this audience may well be new to the independent cinema sector visiting an RFT for the first time. Key local disabled filmmakers/people will also
ensure high disabled people attendance through local networking.
·
The project hopes to build a loyal audience
keen to explore further the issues of disability and film.
·
As the films produced will significantly be
from a disabled perspective it is the project aim to encourage a
wider, more general audience.
Educational Publication
·
The first year's exhibition tour use of
Framed (bfi Publications 1997) will
target audience members either a high degree of knowledge about film;
University students and graduates, journalists, film academics and those
teaching media studies in Further and Higher Education.
·
Primary school booklet will enable RFT education events in the second year of the project to address primary
teachers.
·
Secondary school pack will form the basis of RFT educational events to be directed at secondary schools in year three of
the project.
·
All the teaching resources produced by the
project will enable 'special schools' to use RFT facilities and those teachers to attend the educational events. In
addition it is hoped that a significant number of disabled children or those
with learning difficulties will attend screenings developing their sense
of identity as well as their
cultural and political heritage.
Staff Training and
Access Programme:
·
In-house bfi training for project staff including RFTs and NFTVS will ensure that disability
and access issues are developed both within the institute and in a broad
context. The programme will ensure that at all staff within the organisation
who attend the training sessions will gain significant understanding of
disability/access issues.
Section D
Budget Plan
Budgets include, where stated, a management
cost of 12%.*
*This includes inclusive cost
of existing office space/equipment and conventional communication equipment,
and additional staff time spent on this project as opposed to existing
Institutional activity plus an appropriate contribution to required
miscellaneous overheads such as organisational insurance and allowances. It also includes a nominal figure for
contingencies for project overall.