Social tensions are rising across the UK, driven by scapegoating and misinformation. Despite all the good work being done by civil society organisations and public sector workers  to support communities and promote tolerance and solidarity, there is an overwhelming feeling of despair and hopelessness. 

There has never been a more critical time to invest in bringing communities together. Increasingly toxic and inflammatory narratives are everywhere on social and mainstream media and are becoming normalised in Politics. We are all confused about how to connect as communities, because many young people have never even seen ‘community’ in action, and new technologies have so drastically changed the way we live our lives. Ultimately, restoring community comes down to prompting and enabling people to create new everyday behaviours - such as the 32 Steps to Togetherness.

There’s no better way to encourage new behaviours than through storytelling: showing (rather than telling) how life can look. Film is arguably the most powerful way to tell a story, fast. Hence we believe that short, engaging films that can reach wide audiences are a magic bullet for bringing people and communities together.

We have developed the Togetherness Film-Making Workshop to help you use film to capture your stories of togetherness - and learn an all important new skill together in the process!

A creative and practical one-day workshop where we teach you the basics of film-making, support you to practice, and plan a ‘story of togetherness’ for you to capture as a short film. 

We give you know-how and opportunities to practice, so that you can leave confident enough to produce your own short film (60-90 seconds) using just a mobile phone and free online editing software. The workshops blend classroom theory and practical tasks with lots of opportunities for discussion and creative expression. 

Each participant is given a workbook to take away with tips and templates to support their filmmaking. We typically offer 1-to-1 follow up support on the back of the workshops too.

The one-day sessions are broken down into three parts:

1.Storytelling: Learn how to tell your story in an impactful way 

• What makes a good story

• How to craft your story 

• Story planning activity

2.Lights, camera, action: Translate your story into compelling film footage 

• Top tips for capturing footage 

• Translating your story into a script and shot list 

• Filming activity

3.The cutting room: Edit your footage into an engaging short film

• Demonstration of how to edit your film using Canva software

• Hands on practice of using Canva 

We can also provide one-to-one support after the workshop to help participants get their first film over the line.

Once participants have produced their films, we can also support them to share their films on social media in collaboration with relevant partners and community leaders.

Through collaborative posting and sharing, we can flood online spaces with a rich tapestry of stories of positivity and togetherness, told from different perspectives from across the UK, and drowning out the negative and divisive narratives that many people see when they switch on their phones.

The workshops are designed for anyone who works to bring together people and communities, whether it be staff and volunteers working in grassroots organisations, statutory sector‍ ‍or community leaders.

Participants do not need to have any previous experience of film making - all they need is a mobile phone, access to a laptop and a story to tell!

The workshops work particularly well as an opportunity to bring together a variety of people from different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and different sectors, who are all working in a place-based way. As well as producing films, they are an opportunity to build connections. ‍ ‍

You’ll come away with a short film that can be used to promote tolerance and connection, countering polarisation and extremist narratives with constructive, hopeful alternatives. 

In the process, you will develop the skills and confidence to tell stories through film, which is a vital skill that can help you effectively communicate your impact or promote your work. 

Given the way we deliver the workshops, and the conceptual framework that shapes the sessions, the workshops will also foster connection, understanding and solidarity between participants and leave them energised, inspired and motivated.