Diversity films represent the grass roots talent development approach to film making. Diversity engage directly with communities, holding workshops, training opportunities and actual projects that give people a chance to learn new skills while documenting their environment and community. Diversity Films CIC is a new community interest company working in communities to nurture, train and develop a new generation of filmmakers.

 

A creatively led organisation based in Woodlands, Glasgow and aim to work with a diverse range of people through our new filmmakers development projects, to build capacity of local people in different communities in Glasgow and to equip them with the skills, motivation and opportunity to create short films and digital content for multi-platform distribution and exhibition, including local community screenings, TV and internet broadcast, mobile phones and international cinema screens. Diversity Films was established in April 2007 by a group of experienced media professionals with the initial aim of building filmmaking skills, resources and creative confidence in communities which may benefit from the film, television, video and multimedia experience.

 

Over the next year, DF will be working primarily in the Greater Easterhouse and Scotstounhill areas of Glasgow, with partners Platform, Innerzone and Kingsway Health and Wellbeing Centre, to provide training, mentoring and film production equipment to community groups with the aim of creating sustainable film units in the areas which the groups will gain the skills to drive themselves. DF get support and funding at present through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, 4talent and the lottery. Despite this Marie Olesen describes the financial restraints of the company.

 

“We get some funding and it is just enough to deliver what we are doing now but the plans to expand the service and acquire the equipment needed require more funds. There seems to be real difficulty securing longer term funding, this makes the work we are doing feel slightly temporary. the strategy we have to deliver skills and experience to the community depends on a long view. This is the same position for many projects in the third sector so we understand the limitations, unfortunately it means that we find ourselves working under financial insecurity.” The following story gives us an idea of the real benefits experienced by the community.  

  

DIVERSITY FILMS: 0141 357 7299 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow  

 

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