Board Members Wanted

Would you like a place on the Signals Board?

Signals Media Arts Centre is looking for new Trustees with a variety of skills and experience who are interested in helping to develop the organisation. We are looking for people interested in film, media, education and community working. Signals is keen to expand and build upon the expertise it already has on the Board and in particular, but not exclusively, would like to hear from people with experience in the following:

• Education/schools
• Accountancy
• Local Business
• Artists and filmmakers
• The creative industries
• Youth work

If you are interested and wish to have an informal discussion about how you could be involved as a trustee then please contact contact Signals Director Rachel Hipkiss on 01206 560255 or email rachel@signals.org.uk.

To find out more about the role of Trustee please access the Charity Commission website:
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc3.asp#b2

Made in Essex Film Festival

Signals Media Arts Centre celebrated the diverse range of local talent in our county in the free ‘Made in Essex’ film festival at the Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex on Saturday. The festival showcased a programme of short films with an Essex connection and included a section exhibiting the work of Colchester based filmmakers. The festival also hosted a discussion on filmmaking with an award-winning panel of industry experts including local feature producer Sally Hibbin and BAFTA nominated filmmaker Luke Snellin.

Over 70 people attended throughout the day to watch the programme of films. Essex based animator, Emma Curtis, scooped the prize for the Audience Award with her stop motion animation ‘The Reason I Collect’. One of the highlights of the festival was a screening of the critically acclaimed film ‘Fish Tank’ by BAFTA winning director Andrea Arnold, which was shot on location in Essex. The film festival was part of the wider Explore Culture One World programme of events that is currently happening across the region and aims to highlight the county’s rich cultural heritage.

The ‘Made in Essex’ festival also included a free Essex-themed animation workshop for children aged 7 - 11 in the Colchester Library from 11am – 1pm. This was well attended, the children had a great time and you can view the final film here:

For more information about the ‘Made in Essex’ festival or other events by Signals, please visit the website: www.signals.org.uk or follow us on Facebook or Twitter (look for ‘signalsmedia’).

First Light Movies Studio Award

Hi everyone,

Signals got some great news in March - our application for a First Light Movies Studio Award was successful and this means we can begin working on three exciting film projects with children and young people across Essex. The projects have just started and we hope this year will see us making our best films yet!

We'll be working with Colchester African Caribbean Community Youth Group on an experimental dance film called 'Routine' that will use a range of movements and dance styles to make the everyday things in life become extraordinary. Young people from this group will be working with professional filmmakers Tunji Akinsehinwa and Oliver Noel and dance tutor Sherelle Murrill to write, choreograph, shoot and edit the film.

Young people from the Heybridge Pupil Referral Unit, CSS Heybridge, will be working with two animators, Emma Curtis and Anastacia Tohill as well as upcoming film director Rik Burnell to create a short stop motion film called 'Next Door' which is set in a tower block and gives us glimpses into the inhabitants' lives.

We'll also be working in partnership with Essex County Council Social Services and Colchester and Ipswich Museums to create a mixed media animation called 'Penpal' with children across Essex in foster care. The idea for this film is to use animation to describe the imagination of a lonely child who finds comfort in exchanging small gifts and letters with a Chinese pen friend. This project will be overseen by our experienced tutor, Jane Gull who will be coordinating animators Emma Curtis and Thomas Hicks and sound tutor Gary Leach to work with the group of children and young people to produce this exciting film.

We're really looking forward to working with such talented people and these really interesting groups. Watch this space for more information and photos as the projects get underway!

:)

Easter Workshops @ Signals

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that we're going to be holding some great workshops over the Easter holidays - our bestselling Claymation workshop for ages 7+ and our Two Day Filmmaking Workshop for ages 11+. These workshops are always really popular so if you want to take part, book your place now!

For more info see the image below...

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Wonderful World - Best Animation Nomination

Signals Media Arts Centre is proud to announce that a short animated film made by the pupils of Colchester’s Cherry Tree Primary School and Speech and Language Centre has been nominated for ‘Best Animation’ at this year’s First Light Movies national awards.

The nomination means that the young filmmakers have been invited to the glittering awards ceremony at the Odeon, Leicester Square in March where their film will be watched by hundreds of other children, industry professionals including film Director Alan Parker and celebrities including David Walliams and Dick and Dom.

The film, ‘Wonderful World’ made by 23 children from year 5, used found objects in a stop- frame animation to show the changing of the seasons. The young filmmakers learnt how to script, storyboard, produce and edit their film over a number of weeks.

The young filmmakers from Cherry Tree Primary School and Speech and Language Centre visited Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve to collect natural objects that they brought back to the temporary animation studio at the school. The children were helped to make their film by the Signals team and media professionals, Kate Beckwith, Rob Sparkes, Gary Leach and Lisa Wright.

‘”Wonderful World’ has humour, charm and a sense of wonder. It is a great achievement for all those who worked on it” said Rachel Hipkiss Director of Signals Media Arts Centre.

Sharon Short, headteacher at the Cherry Tree Primary School had this to say,

“Cherry Tree Primary School and Signals Media Arts are delighted that Wonderful World has received this prestigious nomination. The group of children who designed and created the film were very committed to the project, so we are thrilled that their hard work and achievements have been noticed and rewarded. We are all very excited about attending the ceremony and hope this experience will inspire other schools and groups to get involved in filmmaking and media projects.”

First Light provides funding and expertise to enable five to nineteen-year-olds, from all backgrounds throughout the UK, to make their own short digital films and media projects. First Light is supported by the National Lottery, through the UK Film Council and by DCSF. This year, the organisation will distribute £5.3 million. Since launching in 2001, First Light has funded over 30,000 young people to produce more than 1,000 films and media projects.

Through First Light, young people are given the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals and are involved with every aspect of the creative and technical process. This Signals project was also supported through funding from Heart Essex and Colchester and Ipswich Museums.

Wonderful World from SignalsMedia on Vimeo.