The £195,330 will go towards 10 LGBTQI community groups across Wales to create new short films
BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS
Today organisers of the Iris Prize have launched a Wales-wide, three-year project working with community groups from across the country to discuss issues faced by the LGBTQI community.
This news comes as Cardiff’s biggest LGBTQI film festival successfully secured £195,330 of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Working with the LGBTQI community and their allies in Wales, the team are looking for community groups who are willing to produce a film addressing the issues faced by the LGBTQI community. All of the completed films will be made available to watch online.
This initiative will build on their previous Iris in the Community project, creating more opportunities for members of the community to make films that explore a campaign for change.
Team Iris will be working with 10 different community groups, giving each one a space to explore various themes and produce a film in response. Beneficiaries will have opportunities to take part in acting workshops, and gain skills in filmmaking and scriptwriting. The groups involved do not to work within the LGBTQI community, but will be diverse in their membership, for example welcoming people with learning disabilities.
Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director, commented: “Without this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund we would not be able to run this project. We have been inundated by community groups across Wales asking if we could work with them, today we can confirm, with a very BIG YES!”
“2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the repeal of one of the most controversial pieces of legislation to impact on the lives of LGBTI+ people in the UK: Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.”
“This is a fabulous opportunity for our community groups to take stock and reflect on where we are today as LGBT+ people. The fact that we will have 10 films produced at the end of this project is an added bonus. Film continues to be a very democratic way for people to share their ideas and to reach new audiences. Our community groups will I’m sure benefit from this amazing experience.”
Community groups who are interested in discovering more should start with a visit to www.irisprize.org/community where they can complete a form to express an interest.
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