Brian Cleary, Duncan Friend and Kay Ogilvie (photos Kay Ogilvie and EM Media)
The project aids social cohesion and helps to improve the quality of life of people living in rural areas. The films prove to be not only visually exciting but also an opportunity to meet up with friends and socialise. A large proportion of the audiences are made up of older people who haven't visited a cinema for over 30 years. Having a chance to walk to their local village hall to see a film has made a great deal of difference to the quality of their lives, especially during the long winter months.
Groups can book a workshop led by a professional artist to take place in their venue. The workshops often have a film theme, and not only develop new skills but also new audiences. They could be anything from Tiara making to link with the film The Queen, to harmony singing to support the film Walk the Line. Film animation workshops are particularly popular with young people who get to see their animated films on the big screen. These workshops also provide work opportunities for artists and therefore also support the creative industries.
Kay, the field worker, works closely with each group, providing support and advice to help them through their first film season and subsequent events. She organises technical training in the use of the projection equipment, audits each venue and provides advice on improvements. Kay helps with the set-up of the groups, provides advice in the form of a regular newsletter and online resources as well as being on hand for one-to-one discussions. She manages the storage and booking of the shared equipment and also organises the artist-led workshops, training sessions and network support meetings. Groups were encouraged to include some films for young people, some foreign language films and some films from the list supplied by the Film Council.
The project and the fieldworker were managed by a steering group made up of arts officers from relevant local authorities across Derbyshire. They were led by the Assis-tant Head of Arts at Derbyshire County Council. Kay Ogilivie, the fieldworker came from a film society background. The project was carried out in partnership with The Metro Cinema, an independent cinema in Derby. The organisation was useful in giving programming and technical advice.
The total cost of the project over two years was £113, 000. This was funded by EM Media, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Arts Council England, Derbyshire County Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, High Peak Borough Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and South Derbyshire District Council.
Brian Cleary, Duncan Friend and Kay Ogilvie (photos Kay Ogilvie and EM Media)
The project uses three portable high quality film projection kits. Each kit contains a digital projector, a 12ft by 10ft big screen, a drape kit, sound mixer, 2 speakers and stands, and a DVD and VHS player. Everything is housed in a flight case and hard-wired so that operating the equipment is very simple. All of the equipment fits into the back of an estate car and is independently insured for transit, storage and whilst in use. Filmbank and BFI (British Film Institute) were chosen as the main film distribu-tors; an account was set up with them to distribute the films and the licences.
Derbyshire Film Case Study