This is OUR Story! Media Empowerment Project
Donation protected
This is OUR story!
Empowering people to tell their own stories and create positive change
I’m launching a new project with some bad-ass mums and I’d love to tell you about it.
In one of Britain’s poorest boroughs I recently got to know a plucky group of working class, single mothers who are raising their little ones on a shoe-string, furthering careers or education and fighting for housing justice all at the same time! They are heroes!
While their story is wrapped in struggle it is not a tired story of poverty and hopelessness. The women are sharp, funny and gregarious with cast-iron backbone. On top of building a movement, most are in full time work and raising children single-handed. They turn up to meetings with flu, cook for each other and make decisions together. It’s an immense struggle of endurance and courage but they do it with such infectious style.
Since the privatisation of their social housing they have lost rights, stability and safety while rents have doubled. The reality of this is having to bathe children in tubs from the kettle because there has been no hot running water for several years! Ceilings fall down on families despite many urgent calls, taps run brown water and there are a litany of other problems. Bailiffs and evictions are used as a threat to any ‘troublemakers’, keeping families constantly on edge.
Where these women live there are more children living in poverty than anywhere else in London. Single parent families are at a higher risk of living in poverty in the UK, with 1 in 3 children of working single parents living in poverty. 90% of single parent families are women led.
This is a media project with a difference.I want to teach these amazing people the skills to share their own stories using technology that is already available to them.
While many communities recognise the immense power of media to mould public opinion and influence the policies that impact their lives, media gatekeepers remain inaccessible. Giving communities tools to tell their own stories will go some way to redressing that imbalance. Genuine representation of society’s most disenfranchised members enriches the wider conversation on social issues for everyone.
Empowering this community to get their stories out into the wider world will change not only their lives but will shape the future of society.
We already made a viral film in 2017 so we know we can do this again!
The Course Leader
Oonagh Cousins is a socially minded filmmaker working in independent film and broadcast documentary. She has made documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic Channel, Bloomberg Channel, Oxfam and The Guardian, including primetime programmes and award nominated independent docs. Alongside her filmmaking Oonagh has led media courses and given talks with disadvantaged communities since 2010. As a front line activist she has consistently been at the forefront of social movements highlighting the impact of poverty and rising inequality in the UK over the last decade.
Producer
With 20 years experience in film, as well as a rich history of political activism, Verity has worked on films by Tim Burton, Alfonso Cuarón, Terry Gilliam, Anthony Minghella and Yorgos Lanthimos. Verity produced critically-acclaimed award-winning feature documentary Another News Story (called ‘a brilliant film’ in The Observer) which has appeared in over 30 film festivals worldwide, had a theatrical release and is on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play. Verity was longlisted as Breakthrough Producer at the 2018 BIFAs.
The Course
The aim of the 2 day course is to be hands-on and interactive, with a focus on group discussion and activities, to provide real practical experience. Courses will be specifically tailored to suit the needs and interests of the community, doubling up as a campaign tool with immediate effect. This will be done through consultations with community members and background research. What is unique about this course is that we will remain in contact with the community to support their ongoing efforts. We won’t just walk away once the course is over, but will act as mentors for them because we believe in these women and know that they can make a difference.
Budget
Course development £700
Running course £700
Hard drive for community use for media £200
Refreshments and hall hire £200
Crèche £200
TOTAL £ 2,000
Any extra money raised will be donated towards expanding the project to reach other marginalised communities.
* Good news already! GoFundMe were moved by the project and are sending it to media contacts for press coverage, so keep an eye out in the Evening Standard etc! Whoop! *
Would you accept tap water like this in London?!
Empowering people to tell their own stories and create positive change
I’m launching a new project with some bad-ass mums and I’d love to tell you about it.
In one of Britain’s poorest boroughs I recently got to know a plucky group of working class, single mothers who are raising their little ones on a shoe-string, furthering careers or education and fighting for housing justice all at the same time! They are heroes!
While their story is wrapped in struggle it is not a tired story of poverty and hopelessness. The women are sharp, funny and gregarious with cast-iron backbone. On top of building a movement, most are in full time work and raising children single-handed. They turn up to meetings with flu, cook for each other and make decisions together. It’s an immense struggle of endurance and courage but they do it with such infectious style.
Since the privatisation of their social housing they have lost rights, stability and safety while rents have doubled. The reality of this is having to bathe children in tubs from the kettle because there has been no hot running water for several years! Ceilings fall down on families despite many urgent calls, taps run brown water and there are a litany of other problems. Bailiffs and evictions are used as a threat to any ‘troublemakers’, keeping families constantly on edge.
Where these women live there are more children living in poverty than anywhere else in London. Single parent families are at a higher risk of living in poverty in the UK, with 1 in 3 children of working single parents living in poverty. 90% of single parent families are women led.
This is a media project with a difference.I want to teach these amazing people the skills to share their own stories using technology that is already available to them.
While many communities recognise the immense power of media to mould public opinion and influence the policies that impact their lives, media gatekeepers remain inaccessible. Giving communities tools to tell their own stories will go some way to redressing that imbalance. Genuine representation of society’s most disenfranchised members enriches the wider conversation on social issues for everyone.
Empowering this community to get their stories out into the wider world will change not only their lives but will shape the future of society.
We already made a viral film in 2017 so we know we can do this again!
The Course Leader
Oonagh Cousins is a socially minded filmmaker working in independent film and broadcast documentary. She has made documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic Channel, Bloomberg Channel, Oxfam and The Guardian, including primetime programmes and award nominated independent docs. Alongside her filmmaking Oonagh has led media courses and given talks with disadvantaged communities since 2010. As a front line activist she has consistently been at the forefront of social movements highlighting the impact of poverty and rising inequality in the UK over the last decade.
Producer
With 20 years experience in film, as well as a rich history of political activism, Verity has worked on films by Tim Burton, Alfonso Cuarón, Terry Gilliam, Anthony Minghella and Yorgos Lanthimos. Verity produced critically-acclaimed award-winning feature documentary Another News Story (called ‘a brilliant film’ in The Observer) which has appeared in over 30 film festivals worldwide, had a theatrical release and is on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play. Verity was longlisted as Breakthrough Producer at the 2018 BIFAs.
The Course
The aim of the 2 day course is to be hands-on and interactive, with a focus on group discussion and activities, to provide real practical experience. Courses will be specifically tailored to suit the needs and interests of the community, doubling up as a campaign tool with immediate effect. This will be done through consultations with community members and background research. What is unique about this course is that we will remain in contact with the community to support their ongoing efforts. We won’t just walk away once the course is over, but will act as mentors for them because we believe in these women and know that they can make a difference.
Budget
Course development £700
Running course £700
Hard drive for community use for media £200
Refreshments and hall hire £200
Crèche £200
TOTAL £ 2,000
Any extra money raised will be donated towards expanding the project to reach other marginalised communities.
* Good news already! GoFundMe were moved by the project and are sending it to media contacts for press coverage, so keep an eye out in the Evening Standard etc! Whoop! *
Would you accept tap water like this in London?!
Co-organizers (2)
Verity Wislocki
Organizer
England
Oonagh Cousins
Co-organizer