A new joint Film Education Strategy – Film: 21st Century Literacy – is seeking to strengthen the wide range of activity currently underway to engage young people in moving image education.
Launched at BFI Southbank earlier this week by a partnership including the UK Film Council, the Regional and National Screen Agencies, the BFI, Film Club, Film Education, First Light Movies and Skillset, the Strategy sets out a vision for film education as an integral part of every young person’s life. The key challenges identified are mainstreaming film education, improving professional development for teachers, widening access to films and standardising teaching approaches.
The two main aims of the Strategy are to enhance current activity and to initiate new, innovative activities that will enable young people to access a wider range of film content, in school, in cinemas and via other avenues.
In terms of increased funding, the Film Council will be making £750,000 of Lottery money available over the next three years to supplement the £12 million currently spent on film education activities by a range of organisations across the UK.
Speaking after the launch of the Strategy, CEA Chief Executive Phil Clapp said:
“Through their involvement in National Schools Film Week and otherwise, many cinemas up and down the country are already involved in education activities with children and young people. The Strategy offers a genuine opportunity to ensure that all of that hard work is aligned with other organisations working in similar areas.
Anything that brings film and cinema more fully into the lives of children and young people should be applauded. This is a welcome initiative and one that will hopefully increase the film literacy of young people, growing potential future cinema audiences in the UK.
We’ll be exploring over the coming months how CEA members – and the industry-funded organisation Film Education – can best engage with and support the Strategy.”