http://showcase.commedia.org.uk/ [accessed 03/07]About the Community Media Association : About contributing material to The Showcase
A new wave in broadcasting and programme-making went live across the UK and the world when the Community Media Association launched The Showcase, the worlds first streaming media archive of radio, TV, film and video programmes, sound recordings, Internet projects and training materials from the community media sector.
The Showcase offers access to both fiction and non-fiction programmes in a variety of languages, made by individuals, community groups or organisations from all over the UK and beyond. Issues covered include: war and peace; the arts; disability; black and ethnic minority perspectives; gender issues; local history; human rights; health; storytelling and many more. Moreover, as an aid for users in education, subjects, where relevant, can be searched under UK National Curriculum subject headings.
The archive is non-profit and free. There is no charge for programmes or training materials for non-commercial purposes. Furthermore, for the first time, multimedia programmes will be available to those on low bandwidth as well as broadband, allowing everyone to stream or download material in a way that suits their Internet connection.
This new website showcases the views of people in local communities from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds - voices historically unheard. It includes programmes from ethnic minorities, rural communities, young offenders, people with disabilities and many other groups.
About the Community Media Association
The Showcase is run by the Community Media Association, the UK national membership organisation for community radio, TV and Internet projects. It represents 260 organisations across all the nations and regions. The CMA (formerly the Community Radio Association) was founded in 1983. A non-profit organisation, it was set up to support a third sector of community media services alongside the BBC and commercial broadcasters. It seeks to promote the right to communicate, to provide access to training, production and distribution facilities and to encourage local creative talent. It also aims to provide a right of access to minority groups and to promote and protect cultural and linguistic diversity.
About contributing material to The Showcase
We are always looking for appropriate content on a variety of media formats, from the past as well as the present, with no restrictions on programme length. We would also be interested in supporting material for content, such as available scripts, background information etc.
The content we select broadly falls under the following categories:
- human rights, democracy and citizenship
- cultural expression and cultural identity
- black and ethnic minority perspectives
- gender perspectives and equal opportunities
- community development and social enterprise
- living and working in the information age
- awareness of health
- awareness of environment
- storytelling, testimony and oral history
- labour and class issues
- disability issues
- war and peace
Ideally, the content we will use will not have been made available online already or broadcast on a mainstream format, but this does not mean we will discount material on this basis if it is appropriate for our archive. We will digitise the material ourselves and can make a copy available to you free of charge. We will also be able to advise on copyright issues. In addition, we will agree a contract with you giving us the right to distribute your programme or project through The Showcase whilst fully maintaining your copyright.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact The Showcase.
The Showcase was funded by the New Opportunities Fund and EQUAL, the European Social Fund's Community Initiative Programme.
General Links
