Proposal for Next Phase of
Burnt Islands Sharing Our Future
Community Media
Sharing Our Future Community Media Project
1. SOF 2005 is the result of five years of evolution. It is one of
the only, if not the only community media youth project in
Newfoundland and Labrador. The community has learned a
lot about how to develop such projects. The objective of
the next two phases of this project is to preserve their learnings
and to share with other interested communities and groups in Newfoundland
and Labrador and Canada. We will also continue to develop the
community theatre component.
SOF learnings include recruiting youth from level
one rather than focusing on high school students. The 2005
structure of the project works very well. It is three tiered Ð
an experienced coordinator directing two younger interns
(one of whom is a "graduate" of the earlier program) who
work directly with the youth.
The second focus of this phase of the Sharing Our Future Community Media
is to continue to develop a sustainable program of community theatre. We
will continue our liaison with Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.
2. The community media focus will be on learning desktop
publishing to prepare for a second phase in which a manual
is developed which will allow other
communities interested in community media and youth to
learn from the Burnt Islands experience.
3. It is important to retain the same structure in the new
project so it can be used as a model of community media to
share.
4. The current work with the youth and program development
will continue through the project.
5. Sharing Our Future Community Media will also continue to
work on revenue generating projects. One potential
development could be to investigate how the program fits
into the "social economy" of Newfoundland and Labrador.
6. Ryakuga will design the educational component; continue
ongoing online support; and provide participatory research and
desktop publishing community workshops. Collaboration will
be sought both with the College of the North Atlantic and
Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.
7. The project includes purchase of desktop publishing
software and a wide format printer. It is of note that
desktop publishing to produce promotional brochures and
newsletters is an identified need in the community. It will
add a cost effective capacity and enhance potential for
income generation.
8. Community workshops:
(a) Participatory research.
(b) Collecting stories for community theatre.
(c) Desktop publishing (introduction).
(d) Theatre workshop at Grenfell.
(e) Desktop publishing (newsletter production).
(f) Theatre workshop in Burnt Islands.
9. The workshops are typically facilitated over two days.
However, each workshop requires preparation and follow
up activity, both by the community group and the facilitator.
It is expected that each workshop will include a community
media event.