ACAVA

Association of Cultural Advancement Through Visual Arts is an integrated London-based visual arts facility which provides studios and other services for professional artists, organises exhibitions and public art commissions and runs educational and community arts projects.

ACAVA operates from eight buildings in different parts of the city, providing opportunities for people of all ages to access workshop and studio facilities, explore a range of materials and processes, use darkrooms, kilns, forges and computers, and exhibit their work.

In 1999 ACAVA moved into a new purpose designed Lottery funded building in North Kensington with further artists' studios, a digital arts training facility and a community arts resource. From here, ACAVA runs training courses in digital arts for artists and unemployed people in the area, and Artspace, an arts project for people recovering from mental health problems.

A wide variety of artist-led workshops are held on ACAVA premises as well as in schools, colleges, and other participating organisations, ranging from short hourly sessions to year-long courses. Some are set up on conjunction with ACAVA's galleries in Hammersmith and Hackney. Many employ ACAVA's resident studio artists as well as artists from elsewhere.

Duncan Smith

ACAVA
54 Blechynden Street
London W10 6SH
Phone: 020 8960 5015
dsmith@acava.org
www.acava.org

Artsadmin

Artsadmin offers a bursary scheme for individual disabled artists who live in Greater London and wish to work with digital media. Read more about Artsadmin on this website or visit the Artsadmin website.

Toynbee Studios
28 Commercial Street
London E1 6LS
Phone: 020 7247 5102
Fax: 020 7247 5103
Textphone: 020 7247 5182
manick@artsadmin.co.uk
www.artsadmin.co.uk

BBC 21CC

BBC 21CC is a digital learning centre in central London, dedicated to exploring creative and cutting-edge uses of technology in teaching and learning.

The centre welcomes over 5,000 pupils, teachers, young people and families to participate in its free of charge workshop programme each year.

It works with schools to drive online learning opportunities and a dynamic rolling programme of innovative digital projects that draw on expertise from across the BBC from film and music through to web design, digital art and animation.

With an informal community setting in the heart of BBC Broadcasting House, 21CC is a radical space for school groups, young people and families to work together, for individuals and teachers in professional development, and for wider exchange on visions in interactive technology.

British Broadcasting Corporation
Room 2314
2nd Floor Broadcasting House
Portland Place, London W1
Phone: 020 7765 5643
Fax: 020 7655 5951
erin.barnes@bbc.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/21cc

Circus Media

Circus Media project, Stratford, provides business support, mentoring, advice and free access to industry-standard multimedia for new and emerging freelancers, microbusinesses and SMEs in the creative industries.

Circus Media
Stratford Circus, Theatre Square
London E15 1BX
Phone: 020 8279 1002
Fax: 020 8279 1099
circusmedia@stratford-circus.org.uk
www.circusmedia.org.uk

Equity

Equity is the only Trade Union to represent artists from across the entire spectrum of arts and entertainment. Formed in 1930 by a group of West End performers, Equity quickly spread to encompass the whole range of professional entertainment and its membership includes actors, singers, dancers, choreographers, stage managers, theatre directors and designers, variety and circus artists, television and radio presenters, walk-on and supporting artists, stunt performers and directors and theatre fight directors. Although a Trade Union, Equity is not politically affiliated and so does not make payments to any political party. This puts Equity in the strong position of being able to lobby with impunity. It is affiliated to the Trades Unions Congress and Equity delegates attend the annual TUC conference as a means of bringing performers' issues to a wider audience.

The main function of Equity is to negotiate minimum terms and conditions of employment throughout the entire world of entertainment and to endeavour to ensure these take account of social and economic changes. Its looks to the future as well, negotiating agreements to embrace the new and emerging technologies which affect performers so satellite, digital television, new media are all covered. In addition it operates at an international level through the Federation of International Artists which Equity helped to establish, the International Committee for Artistic Freedom and through agreements with sister unions overseas.

In addition to these core activities, Equity strives to provide a wide range of services for members and so they are eligible for many benefits including a job information service and contract vetting. They also provide legal and welfare advice, royalties collection services, advice on copyright and insurance services.

Equity London Office,
Guild House,
Upper St Martins Lane,
London
WC2H 9EG
Phone: 020 7379 6000
Fax: 020 7379 7001
info@equity.org.uk
www.equity.org.uk

Fast Forward to Media

Theatre Venture, Stratford runs a ‘Fast Forward to Media’ film course and offers video and sound production equipment.

Theatre Venture
Stratford Circus
Theatre Square
London E15 1BX
Phone: 020 8519 6678
Fax: 020 8279 1064
www.theatre-venture.org

Film London

Film london is the strategic agency for film and media in the Capital, set up under the auspices of the UK Film Council; the Mayor's office (including the GLA and LDA) and Skillset.
Film London is designed to act as a catalyst for national and international film-making in London, to engage the diverse communities throughout London in film and media (providing both educational and employment opportunities); to exploit the tourism potential of film and media in London and also to develop their cultural development in the Capital.

Phone: 020 7387 8787
info@filmlondon.org.uk
www.filmlondon.org.uk

London Disability Arts Forum

LDAF seeks to strengthen and develop the image of disability arts and culture. Amongst its activities is the Disability Film Festival. Read more about LDAF on this website or visit the LDAF website.

Diorama Arts Centre
34 Osnaburgh Street
London NW1 3ND
Phone: 020 7916 5484
Fax: 020 7916 5396
Minicom: 020 7691 4201
info@ldaf.net
www.ldaf.org

Lux

Lux is a new not-for-profit organisation established to promote and support artists' moving image work both in the UK and internationally.

www.lux.org.uk

Moving South

Moving South is a new website for filmmakers and digital artists in south London. The site features an online directory and forum for e-networking and information sharing. The site also features specially commissioned new media projects and at the moment is streaming Home Turf a collaboration between several Lambeth based community groups and desperate optimists.

www.movingsouth.com

no.w.here

no.w.here is a new centre for artist film production in London run by the artist filmmakers Karen Mirza and Brad Butler. Creating a cultural centre for the artist filmmaking community, no.w.here provides public access to a unique set of film facilities at low cost. no.w.here also runs workshops to educate a new generation of artist filmmakers, convenes critical debates investigating experimental film's dialogue with contemporary culture, and programmes screenings and exhibitions by international artists and filmmakers. Through all of its activities no.w.here opens a space for the meeting of practice and theory, expanding, extending and examining the place of film within contemporary artistic production.

no.w.here has around 1000sq ft at its disposal in Kingsgate Road, West Hampstead. It is fitted with a darkroom, a separate area for printing, an editing area and a general workspace. no.w.here's facilities include several 16mm editing tables, an optical J-K printer, a Calder processor, Debrie Matipo printer and a Bell & Howell printer.

As a working space dedicated to artist‚s film, no.w.here has 4 aims:

To create a space where artists can pursue an independent working practice.
To enable access to film facilities that are run with a high level of professionalism.
To pass on knowledge to artists about film materials, printing techniques, image and chemical manipulation, shooting and editing on film.
To support artists to shoot, edit and complete their films at a minimal of cost.

This way no.w.here functions as an open studio in which one works autonomously. no.w.here also acts as a producer for film-projects initiated by talented filmmakers and artists. For such projects no.w.here can offer its facilities, know-how and experience.

no.w.here organises training and workshops in the field of experimental and artistic film. The workshops are designed to pass on in-depth knowledge on each specific component of film art. Often a specialist is engaged as a guest-lecturer and a workshop allows starting filmmakers and artists to acquaint themselves with the medium as well as offering more experienced filmmakers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with specific techniques. The workshops are located at Kingsgate and we are constantly developing new courses such as the investigation of film theory, artist talks, drawing on film, camera-less films, introduction to experimental filmmaking. For information on our next workshop please e.mail us at: courses@nowhere-lab.org or visit our website: www.nowhere-lab.org

The nearest tube is West Hampstead on the Jubilee line. Turn left out of the station, walk down past the pub and cafe west. You are on West End Lane. As the road starts to bend to your right there is a road called Hemstal Road. Take this to the bottom where the corner shops are and turn left and you are staring at the Kingsgate studios: a brick warehouse with blue painted window frames. This walk takes about 5-7 mins. On arrival ring bell A.

no.w.here
Studio 38
Kingsgate Trust
110 - 116 Kingsgate Road
London NW6 2JG
courses@nowhere-lab.org
www.nowhere-lab.org

Photodebut

Photodebut promotes, supports and connects emerging photographers. The cooperative was founded in 2003 by three companions: Jan von Holleben, Esther Teichmann and Andy Porter. Today they count 20 photographers which all come from different photographic backgrounds. They are united in their critical approach to their profession and believe in succeeding by sharing knowledge, skills and experience. Photodebut's work reaches from group exhibition, to educational events, commissions and community projects.

Jan von Holleben, Managing Director
Phone: +44 (0) 77 5121 2451
info@photodebut.org
www.photodebut.org

Shed 22

Shed 22 is a community media access centre offering a programme of training courses for artists and the community using state-of-the-art Apple Mac computer hardware and software. We also organise projects and exhibitions, and offer access to a photo studio, digital imaging suite and darkroom facilities.

Shed 22, Coolfin Road, Custom House, London E16 3BD
Phone: 020 7474 8597
info@shed22.org.uk
www.shed22.org.uk

Skillset

Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for Broadcast, Film, Video and Interactive Media. Skillset exists to encourage the delivery of informed training and education provision so that the British broadcast, film, video and interactive media's industry's technical, creative and economic achievements are maintained and improved. Services offered by this organisation include the development of qualifications which people working in the industry can complete to show the skills they have learned; providing industry based careers information, advice and guidance; and the promotion of skills for business throughout the industry.

There is also a subsidised training scheme for established freelancers covering topics like technical training, camera, scripting, editing, production and research. This is supported by the Freelance Training Fund and Skills Investment Fund.

Skillset also has an associated website, which is a service provided by Skillset with the entertainment union BECTU. This is aimed at people working in the industry who want to progress their careers. It is a one-stop careers and advice service, including CV and marketing workshops and individual advice sessions with professional media careers staff.

For careers advice and information visit www.skillsformedia.com
Phone: or call the skillsformedia careers helpline on 08080 300 900
www.skillset.org

SPACE

SPACE has a moving-image suite and a digital-arts suite manned by a digital-arts support worker and several industry-trained volunteers. Rates are £15/day/workstation, Wed - Fri. SPACE also runs regular training in digital and moving-image arts.

SPACE Place,
43-45 Dace Road,
London E3 2NG
Phone: 020 8986 5998
spaceplace@spacestudios.org.uk
www.spacestudios.org.uk

The East London Moving Image Initiative

The East London Moving Image Initiative (ELMII) provides information-sharing, networking and development opportunities for the moving images industries across East London. The ELMII website provides freelancers and moving image businesses with:

monthly email bulletin
online CV posting
online web streaming possibilities
network forum
access to the ELMII directory
elmii@ifvda.demon.co.uk
www.elmii.org.uk

Other film / broadcast links

www.npa.org.uk (New Producers' Alliance)
www.pact.co.uk (The Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television)
www.bectu.org.uk (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematographic and Theatre Union)