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Virtual Voices Event
[SUMMARY—We're attending, are you?]
(GBR) Barney and I are here in The Watershed, Bristol, UK at the Virtual Voices event which promises to "bring the media industry together with young media makers and their teachers or tutors to attempt to answer this question and many others…"—the question being:
How can we develop young people's voices so they become the media literate content creators and storytellers of the future?
We know how we do it so hopefully we can add to the discussion and learn how others approach it.
Live-blogged from the event:
Caroline Norbury, Chief Executive from South West Screen opened with the dichotomony of the media: the positives and the negatives. Discussions are between two extremes but Usualy the audience is passive in this discourse. Encourage and empower people to create media and participate.
Alison Bown, Access & Participation Manager from South West Screen did the housekeeping.
Iain Dale took on the Keynote. Discussed what the media was like in 1973 (in reference to Life on Mars where the main character found himself in that year). Death by bullet/powerpoint also mixed fonts, nasty header and unpleasent transition effects. Talked about the internet which cannot be controlled or regulated—what he calls the 'uncontrollable new media'. Everyone has a voice. Showed a few blog examples and explored why people blog.
Highlighted the danger of blogging. Making statements on the web and understanding once live it exists forever.
Not just about blogging. Social networks have mushroomed. Devices for campaigns not just connecting to people or joining groups. Effect of this new media on the old media (dead tree press). Most old school media types recognise and accept the changing nature of its sector. The media is proliferating with people searching out their niche.
Talked a bit about how politicians and business are using blogs. There are threats and opportunities. The net is becoming mobile and dynamic. Blogs reach areas where mainstream media can not. In the last five minutes he focussed on the relevance on this relating to young people.
Next on the agenda was the 'News Panel', hosted by Nick Roddick, film journalist. Martin Fewell: Deputy Editor of C4 News, Vicky Frost: Deputy Editor of Media Guardian, and Iain Dale: Political Blogger were on the panel. Basically discussing the changes in the specific sector.
There was then a handful of 'hands-on' sessions which (talking to delegates) were great (my session on pervasive media was interesting).
Second panel was titled 'Emerging Platforms in Film and TV', again hosted by Nick Roddick and Charlotte Black: Head of Talent at C4, Paul Tarplee: MD of TwoFour Digital, Derren Lawford: Multiplatform Editor of Panorama (BBC) and Simon Hankin: Holler the Digital Agency for 'Skins'.
Explored if outside platforms are crucial to content creation. There is no IT as it's become integrated. Talked about creating specific online content and not rehash the broadcast stuff. Is the convergence becoming a reality? Content is becoming fluid across platforms and the boundaries are blurring. Online appeals to creating spaces for discussion which compliments the broadcast content. The audience and their questions bought in the topic of young people and its relevant.
The whole event was rounded off with some absolutely fantastic youth created video. Made me laugh and cry and wished for more.
Conclusion
So did the event achieve its gain and answer the question of developing young people's voices so they become the media literate content creators and storytellers of the future?
Unfortunately, not quite.
It was never going to conclusively 'answer' the question but there was very little discussion about it: the keynote spoke about young people and media only in the last five minutes of his talk and the two panels also totally missed the theme of the conference (I even asked the second panel the question above on which the conference was built around).
For future events, be great to have actual youth media practitioners speaking who will actually focus on the theme of the event.
Was great to connect with some MediaSnackers training alumni though and also make some new friends.
For a completely different take on the event read this.
Filed by DK on July 10 2008
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