Community Video Training Camp 2009
Video Volunteers’ Community Video Camp 2009 was the first ever conference in India dedicated to community video. It was held from August 11th - 14th 2009 in Goa, India, with community producers, NGOs and students from India and around the world meeting to exchange ideas.
We at Video Volunteers have been bringing our community video producers together for joint training workshops for the past few years. In 2009, we wanted to widen our group of participants and test the idea of community video as a movement. The response was overwhelming: more than 250 people applied for only 130 seats. We had applications from roughly 55 NGOs from all over India, all of whom wanted to get into community video. The interest was not just limited to India–-people from across the world, like the USA and the UK, Germany, Australia, Croatia, and Italy also attended.
It was also an experiment in shared learning – what happens when “experienced” college students are in a classroom with Community Producers whose formal education level is quite basic? The students were inspired by the community video movement and it gave voice to their youthful aspirations of changing the world. The NGO workers became convinced of the potential of community video when they worked side by side with such articulate, empowered individuals. The community producers on the other hand got a chance to showcase their work, and receive feedback, most of which was very positive and confidence-bolstering. In this amazing mutually respectful environment, we all learnt better.
The workshops, panel discussions and the off-track events were also a part of the holistic package meant to develop critical thinking. The workshops brought out people’s creativity; panels, presentations and focus group discussions about community video and its future tickled people’s gray cells; award ceremonies recognized the social impact of community producers; open-mic events allowed people to relax and the amazing poolside areas allowed participants to socialize with the facilitators and each other.
To learn more:
See the workshop details on our CV Camp
wiki page. All training materials and background information are here. We hope others will use these resources in their own community media trainings, or to put on similar events.
Read the detailed blog posts:
Video Volunteers is an international media organization empowering the voices of the world’s unheard communities. Its mission is to empower the world’s poorest citizens to right the wrongs they witness by becoming players in the global media revolution. Video Volunteers provides disadvantaged communities with journalistic, critical thinking and creative skills, teaching people to articulate and share their perspectives on the issues that matter to them – on a local and a global scale.
