Middlesbrough Mela are looking for ‘Hidden Heroes’ from across the Tees Valley that have done amazing things during the pandemic to be part of an outdoor photography exhibition this Summer at Albert Park.

Do you know an inspiring individual in the community that has gone above and beyond to help others during this difficult time?

Middlesbrough Mela would like to hear about community heroes whose acts of kindness have really made a difference to those around them and have not yet been recognised for it.

Chosen heroes will then be captured by award winning Portrait of Britain 2020 photographer Joanne Coates and be part of a new outdoor exhibition this August.

Get your nominations in before 19 June 2021, 5pm. https://middlesbroughmela.co.uk/hiddenheroes/

Instagram: @boromela  

Facebook: @melaboro

Community radio station Darlo Radio, Darlington Borough Council and its partners are encouraging teenagers in Darlington aged 14-18 to enter the Darlo Radio Play Your Part Competition, with more information at https://www.darlington.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health/coronavirus/darlo-radio-play-your-part-competition/ . Three winning entries will be invited to record their adverts at the Darlo Radio studios, as well as receive a £30 AmazonUK voucher each.

The competition is for teens from across the borough who are interested in media, marketing, health and politics to enter their own 30 second radio advert on the topic of ‘Play your part – Why teens need to fight against Covid-19’.

The radio adverts can include:

• Why teens are not immune to Covid-19
• Why teens need to continue following Covid-19 guidelines to keep our communities safe
• How teens can help protect the Darlington communities from Covid-19
• Why teens should take the Covid-19 vaccine when they are eligible
• Why it is important for teens to stay vigilant against Covid-19 

Three winning entries will be invited to record their adverts at the Darlo Radio studios, as well as receive a £30 AmazonUK voucher each.

Is a career in TV and film something you’ve been considering? It doesn’t matter if you’re fresh out of education, or you’ve decided on a career change – no matter what journey you’re on, you need to sign up to our NFM Crew Academy Boot Camp.

Perhaps you’re looking to work on a regional network TV drama such as ITV’s Vera, or maybe you see yourself on the set of a major feature film, either visiting the region or maybe somewhere a little more exotic?! Our Boot Camp provides an amazing opportunity to hear from some of the industry’s leading professionals about the joys and challenges that await you.

The NFM Crew Academy Boot Camp runs every day from Monday 14th – Friday 18th June at 1pm. Most of the sessions are 1 hour long, but some will last a little longer. Booking is now open: NFM Academy Boot Camp. You must be 18 or over to book on these events and living in the North East. Preference will be given to those in the Tees Valley area.

Deadline extended for BLUEPRINT Applications

Are you a filmmaker or creative working in any medium who would like to hone your skills, receive a paid moving image commission, and access studio space? We’re looking for five emerging creatives and artists based in Tees Valley to help take the next steps in their career through BLUEPRINT.

There are five places on the programme, including one reserved for a disabled or D/deaf creative, another for a creative person of colour, and a place for a graduate from the MIMA School of Art & Design (and its precursor) since 2016.

BLUEPRINT is an artist moving image project organised by Tees Valley Screen, in partnership with MIMA Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, MIMA School of Art & Design, Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), The Auxiliary, ARC Stockton and funded by Arts Council England and Tees Valley Combined Authority.

For more on Blueprint and how to apply, visit https://northernmedia.org/project/blueprint/about-blueprint/. Signed versions of the supporting and application documents are available on our website.

Applications close at noon on Tuesday 1^st June. Queries and applications can be sent to blueprint@northernmedia.org

* NB You are receiving this NFM/TVS Newsletter as you have previously signed up. Please email info@northernmedia.org to unsubscribe.

Borderlands is a Creative People and Places project focused in Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland and are looking for the Hidden Sheroes there. A SHERO is a woman of any age, colour, or nationality. SHE is an active giver, an example of what is possible, a brilliant light and hope, and an inspiration to people of all ages. They’d love to hear about any Shero who has made an impact, no matter how small, over this tough time. They want to commemorate and celebrate these women by sharing their stories. A selection of women nominated will also have the opportunity to be photographed. To nominate your community Sheroes, please complete the form here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5Vu0f2EGd-v-K110o_Z7Z-JAN Q6kWN5UGoFLJa4oT1pRXRg/viewform?usp=sf_link giving as much information as possible about why your nominee deserves to be recognized.

At Creative Darlington we’re delighted to see Tracks continuing to share the joy of music, literature and poetry online care of their fantastic HARK! The Sound Of Stories . Tracks presented another fantastic evening of online performances from international and award-winning musicians, bringing to life the literary works of Emily Dickinson, Angela Carter, and more. premiered online on Friday 23 April 2021 at 7.30pm, runs for 87 minutes and has already attracted 7.2K views on Facebook and features:

Josephine Foster – All the way from Colorado, USA!
Revisiting songs from her Emily Dickinson-inspired album Graphic As A Star.

Polly Paulusma – Performances introducing her new album Invisible Music: Folk Songs That Influenced Angela Carter.

SCHWA – Northern multi-instrumentalists playing music inspired by the writings of Kathleen Jamie, Christina Rosetti and Edna St Vincent Millay.

With additional readings of work by the inspiring writers from Stockton-based poet Dianne Casey and musician and member of Schwa Jacqui Wicks.

All of this was hosted by local musician and author Francoise Harvey, from Darlington Crown Street Library.

Not only have Tracks fully subtitled this video, which you can enable in the player if you would like, they’ve also gone one step further thanks to funding from Musinc to help tread the way forward into online accessibility, having the whole event interpreted through British Sign Language. Tracks want to offer a huge thanks to Sue Lee of Becoming Visible, whose performance they describe as ‘absolutely stellar, adding an extra layer of meaning all on its own even for those with hearing’.

Free online Arts Award support sessions are fast approaching, brought to you by Culture Bridge North East and The Customs House.

Discover and Explore, Wednesday 19 May 2021, 11.30 – 13.00

Trainers Jane Gray and Fiona Martin will take you through a Discover and Explore Arts Award Refresher, which is suitable for any existing advisers; whether you’ve had a break in your delivery or if you’ve never worked in these Awards. 

There will be time spent on both levels, as well as opportunities to ask questions and to gain confidence to re-start your Discover and Explore programmes.

Bronze and Silver, Wednesday 16 June 2021, 11.30 – 13.00

This session is suitable for existing Bronze and Silver advisers and will be delivered by trainers, Jane Gray and Fiona Martin. 

Participants will be taken through the specifics of Bronze and Silver Arts Award, and to have an opportunity to ask questions, and clarify understanding to help advisers to increase their confidence around delivering Bronze and Silver Arts Awards.

Gold, Wednesday 14 July 2021, 11.30 – 13.00

This session is an introduction to Gold Arts Award, and is delivered by Gold Trainer, Jane Gray and supported by Fiona Martin, from The Customs House. It will be an opportunity to find out how Gold Arts Award might be the right next step in your work with young people to support them to develop their artistic talents and leadership expertise.

Pink Collar Gallery & Las Lluministas have presented the RE-IMAGINE open call which opens on Friday 30th April (today) and closes on Friday 11th June 2021 with application details at www.pink-collargallery.com

The call out invites artists who identify as women and as feminists to create activist artwork around the theme of how femicide is portrayed in mass media. The work will be displayed online in parallel at Pink-Collar Gallery and Las Iluministas Gallery. Within this open call, they will select 5 Mexico-based artists and 5 UK-based artists to develop their online work into pieces of public art, which will be displayed in Mexico and the UK respectively. The process of creating and displaying these ten pieces of public art will be filmed by the artists themselves, creating ten short videos to exhibit.

The fantastic Cabinet of Curiosity have secured support from Arts Council England and Creative Darlington to develop a Grand Constructions project in Darlington. Watch their short video and download and print one of their designs onto card, and with a pair of scissors, and some sticky stuff, you’ll have all you need to create your own model of Darlington’s fabulous Town Clock.

The D Project Dance Company is looking to appoint new Board Trustees. After many successful years the company is in the process of transitioning to a Company Limited by Guarantee and is looking for new board trustees to provide advice, support and share their experience to help take the organisation into its next stage of development.

This is/these are a volunteer position/s without renumeration.

The Roles

In the first instance we are seeking people with experience at board or senior level in one or more of the following areas:

Finance | Accounting | Legal and Governance | Human Resources

Those with experience of charity and fundraising would also be particularly welcomed as well as those with dance/arts knowledge or experience being desirable.

A further specification and information about the roles can be obtained by visiting www.thedproject.co.uk/news

To apply for a role please send an expression of interest and current CV to info@thedproject.co.uk.

Deadline for submissions is 12pm Friday 26th March 2021.

Along with the University of Sunderland, Northern Film + Media/ Tees Valley Screen are delighted to be presenting a series of six online webinars “In Conversation with Lord Puttnam” supported by Pinewood Group.

The series begins with

Golden Rules – Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was 30! with Lee Hall – Friday 12th March – 10am – 11.30am

Following this are:

The Production Business – How to finance and produce successful content with David Parfitt Monday 15th March – 2pm – 3.30pm

How Technology has Changed Storytelling with Sarah Gavron – Monday 12th April – 2pm – 3.30pm

The Great British Skills Shortage – Where the jobs are with Iain Smith – Friday 23rd April 10am – 11.30am

Producing Content in an Era of Fake News – The growing importance of factual and documentary makers John Battsek – Friday 30th April- 10am – 11.30am

And finally, date and time tbc    The Films of Ridley Scott – with Ridley Scott.

The first event is available to book here https://lordputtnamgoldenrules.eventbrite.co.uk, with further information about the events at https://northernmedia.org/in-conversation-with-lord-puttnam/.

Priority places will be given to those living in the north east and students and alumni from University of Sunderland.