Spectacle, an independent production and media project, has a long track
record of running community-based video workshops in the UK and Europe.
For this project, we worked with 11-15-year-olds from neighbourhoods where we have ongoing video workshops (Rotherhithe and Peckham in south-east London, and Kennington and Stockwell in south-west London) so they could carry on their involvement with video production beyond the time limit of this project.
In short, intensive sessions, the participants were given basic video training in camera, sound and interview techniques. Then they immediately started to make video clips about learning and education.
As usual, much of the benefit of the work is ‘off camera’. The collective processes involved in making the videos brought together groups and individuals who hadn’t met before – or who were even hostile to one another! With our training in production process, and by rotating roles behind and in front of the camera, we created an informal but serious environment where skills could be learned and shared in a spirit of happy collaboration.
The speakers were often put on the spot because they might not have thought about the questions properly before. Few really wanted to be in front of the camera; they were simply ‘taking their turn’. But they all not only answered the questions but watched and listened to each other when filming and recording sound. We don’t listen and learn enough from our peers and friends. We meet to have a laugh; we seldom ask each other our opinions.
Who is behind the camera is as important as who is in front of it. The camera provided a shared public space, a neutral ground to share thoughts and ideas, where every voice and every individual had an equal weight.
When you are a beginner things can go wrong. There were many great moments that did not make it to the website because of technical hitches. But it is exactly the ‘right to fail’ that gives us the opportunity to have a go, to learn by both our successes and our mistakes.
You can find more about us at www.spectacle.co.uk or email us at info@spectacle.co.uk if you would like to find out more about our workshops and training.
