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14 December, 1998 LETTER TO NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY MEMBERS
When you read the accompanying copy of 'Visions', you will be able to appreciate that Northern Visions acts as a catalyst for an increasing volume of local film and video production. We are the only not for profit media centre operating in the Belfast area providing equipment at subsidised rates, training workshops, a documentary film scheme and exhibition space. Over 200 community and cultural groups, independent filmmakers and artists use the centre annually.
We think it is important that as an assembly member, you have an informed and in depth knowledge of grassroots, independent film and video making in Northern Ireland and the directions which are currently being discussed at a grassroots level.
A COMMUNITY TELEVISION STATION
The exchange of information is important in contributing to democracy in any society. Northern Visions, in partnership with the voluntary/community sector are in the process of establishing a community television service for Belfast, a station in which all the citizens of Belfast will have the opportunity to be active participants. Distribution platforms for the station will be through terrestrial means. Northern Visions and its partners believe that a community television service will be instrumental in improving community relations, be a vehicle for education and information and contribute to economic prosperity …a vehicle to mark the digital age….and of course good local entertainment. We look forward to your support for this venture. If you would like more information on our plans for the proposed television service please do contact us.
CATHEDRAL AREA AS A CULTURAL QUARTER
Belfast has a unique opportunity to establish a Cultural Quarter in the Donegall Street/Cathedral Quarter area. Presently there are numerous artists' studios, musician's rehearsal rooms, premises for a number of theatre groups, music promotion agencies, several art galleries, a dance studio, music venues and silk screen and photographic workshops and of course Northern Visions. All of us would like to see a cultural quarter happen. This is also an historic area, which, over many years, has housed numerous locally owned small businesses unique to Belfast. We want to preserve these.
Cultural development in the Cathedral Quarter has the capacity to create a vibrant arts scene; it can make an economic impact through job creation; it can become an area of the city for all its citizens and a development to be proud of. Working alongside Laganside Corporation, local groups and businesses have contributed to plans for regenerating the area in a sympathetic manner. But it will take the support of you as an Assembly member and the people of Belfast to successfully bring this about. What are your views on this?
We want people here (and the world) to know of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter and our ideas so please visit the web site http://welcome.to/cathedral.quarter and see the wealth of small businesses and cultural organisations.
A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE ARTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
We believe we need a new impetus in the arts in Northern Ireland. Policies and strategies have barely developed over the last thirty years while the world has changed! This is an area that needs a complete rethink and we can only bring a few issues to your attention in this letter.
Community Arts: The 1996 John Myerscough 'The Arts & the Northern Economy' carried out by the Department of Education highlighted the fact that the conventional arts only reach a small proportion of our population. This is not the case with Community Arts. The Comedia report commissioned by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Making Belfast Work stated that community arts activity in Northern Ireland is unprecedented within the U.K.….yet it receives only 2% of Arts Council of Northern Ireland funding. Clearly, citizens, the taxpayers, want to engage in arts activities in their area, they want to be creative and innovative.
So why aren't the arts more accessible? The Community arts movement, of which Northern Visions is a part, believes this denotes a deficiency within arts policy. We want to see new structures established, to ensure the arts mean something to everyone…we want to see more access to the arts in line with British Government current policy, we want to see more egalitarianism, more dynamism, more provision for young people and public accountability. What are your party's views on this?
Local Filmmaking: Film and video is the most popular contemporary art form in our society yet support for its indigenous growth in Northern Ireland has been minimal. Local filmmakers have been the driving force in instituting organisations like the Northern Ireland Film Commission and in changing the British Film Institute's Royal Charter to include Northern Ireland within its remit yet this has translated into limited support for local filmmaking. We do not have access to any production funding (other than the Lottery) unlike the rest of the U.K…..and the Republic of Ireland which has a £4.8 million production fund for its local independent filmmakers! Throughout its entire 10-year existence, Northern Visions has never received core funding. The vast majority of the cultural groups and community organisations, which access our services, are in a similar position.
In order for this cultural sector to realise the potential, which it clearly has, we need you to address this issue within the framework of a new direction in indigenous filmmaking in particular and a new direction in the arts generally.
You can read further about all these issues in our publication 'Visions'. We hope you enjoy it and get a sense of the creativity of the people who use Northern Visions. We wish you every success in the new Assembly, merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
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