NORTHERN VISIONS MEDIA TRUST TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The trustees present their annual report for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Objectives and activities
The Northern Visions Media Trust was established in July 2002 to:
-
Advance education and training in television production techniques for the public benefit and for people of all ages and abilities living in Northern Ireland (the "area of benefit").
-
Promote community development in the area of benefit by:
· providing facilities to and assisting community and voluntary sector organisations and groups to create their own television programmes;
· producing promotional material for such organisations and groups.
- Promote community arts, culture and heritage in the area of benefit by providing tuition and information and encouraging and facilitating community participation in arts, cultural and heritage activities and events.
As Chair, I am delighted to report that we have continued to deliver a range of activities and training to a variety of communities, voluntary groups and individuals. We continued to operate an open policy with access, participation and learning designed into the heart of our media programme, services and facilities. No media skills are required. We employ the community arts tenets of access, participation, ownership, authorship. We conduct action research and pilots. We prioritise the needs of disadvantaged people within an overall commitment to equal opportunities. Our partnerships include those delivering anti-poverty programmes, social inclusion, lifelong learning, skills based initiatives for the unemployed and eradicating child poverty. We maintain an arts and digital media centre as a central resource, embracing new technologies and innovation, including digital technology and distribution platforms not readily available to other organisations which is why we have developed an open access policy for all ages/abilities/skills and experience. Even the poorest neighbourhood has resources to offer. These may be experience/knowledge based rather than physical resources. It is important to us that they are afforded the same value as Northern Visions resources.
Children and Young people
Little Sparks, Future Dreams was a project mixing digital media, digital technology, creative story telling, live performance and lots of fun for young people from rural and socially deprived areas. Working with eight schools, young people will collaborate to create eight stories, while exploring the possibilities of bringing them to life through digital media and puppetry.
We participated in the Arts Council’s Creative Schools project to introduce school students from socially deprived areas to the potential of the arts as a medium for both personal and community change.
Skills Training and Apprenticeships Training
We offer training in all aspects of digital media, workshops, an Active Citizenship/volunteering programme with free training and mentoring, advise on progression routes, give artists and volunteers editorial control over creative output, create opportunities for artists to document their work.
We provided skills training for thirty individuals in partnership with CINE, funded by the Department for Communities. Also we providi apprenticeships for underrepresented, ethnic minority, socio-economic, and disabled communities.
Arts Programme
We maximise public benefit by investing a high proportion of human and financial resources in the arts through creative productions, training, digital media resources, distribution and exhibition. Our training and skills enhancement takes place during engagement in the creative process on projects conducted with partner organisations in the cultural and community sector. We Are was an arts project working with people with brain injuries. (Brain Injury Matters) We began work with Belfast City of Sanctuary providing film making training to a number of refugees and asylum seekers.
Older People
We have continued to support the involvement of older people in programme production.
Structure, governance and management The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: Mr S Wood
Ms C McAlonan-McCrudden Mr G P O'Caireallain None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees. Mr S Wood Director Dated: 18 December 2024