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March 11, 2009

Telly is a turn on for young people

Community arts and media pioneers – Fablevision – are breaking new ground with the development of a new community TV channel. Transform TV is run entirely by young people, featuring their issues and ideas. Drawing in young people from surrounding neighbourhoods, Transform TV based in what has become Glasgow’s creative industries quarter

Don’t watch it – make it. Youth TV channel takes off

Fablevision’s partnership with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Project Scotland has allowed Fablevision to develop an emerging community TV channel for Glasgow – Transform TV – run by young people – featuring their issues and ideas.

Outreach work during 2008 has revealed a wealth of talent in various Glasgow neighbourhoods – initially, Barmulloch and Shettleston, now, Blackhill Provanmil, Possil and Govan where young people aged between 16 and 19 who are not in formal training or employment are learning TV and media skills in their own local areas. Several of the pilot young people have gone on to access media courses or have gone straight into employment.

One had his own short film screened at the Grosvenor Cinema in the summer of 2008. His Gran commented: “if it hadn’t been for Fablevision’s guidance he would never have found this path”.

The Church of Scotland and Culture/Sport Glasgow are key players and in 2009, North Glasgow College are coming on board. Several young folk from each pilot area are now on paid training places and they will achieve accredited NQ modules. Ultimately, cascade training is the ambition – so that the trainees of today become the trainers of tomorrow – back in their own neighbourhood enterprise with newbies.

They are already sharing ideas and blogs. It’s a small step from here to a Transform community TV channel on the web. Look out BBC!!

Under the wing of professional film and TV artists like Frank Miller, Robert Farifield and Peter Wilson, the young people are accessing their training at Fablevision. Based in Govan, in the heart of the creative industries quarter, the Fablevision team will help them make full use of potential networking, signposting and portfolio/CV development.

And, if they don’t make the BBC first off, there is Fablevision Studios – Fablevision’s multi media trading arm delivering websites, promotional films, 3D animations and graphic design to other social enterprises as well as the public and private sector.

Studios is always on the look out for new talent and several of the Transform TV students have already landed free lance contracts creating music, digital animation, film and 3D work for the Charity (click to examples of their work).

Some are already high fliers who are making their own way in the free lance world – names to look out for.
The young people who have jumped at this “Chance for Change” are highly motivated individuals with skill, talent and ability in spade loads. If they have been NEET (Not in Education, Training or Employment), they now have more Choices and More Chances. So let’s take a look at what needs fixing in the mainstream Education, and Employment Training on offer, coz there sure ain’t much needing “fixing” about these guys!

http://www.fablevision.org/transformtv/index.html