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Made in Britain

Local people telling their own stories

Britain finds itself in a moment of profound social upheaval. Filmmakers and journalists have to respond not just in terms of the kind of stories they tell, but how they tell them, and who tells them. For a long time, the British media has failed to properly represent and give voice to many communities - those outside our big cities, young people, minorities, the working class, those with disabilities. This is because the production processes and routes to participate have become increasingly inaccessible and concentrated.

Aiming to elevate those who would not usually have a voice in the media, Made in Britain focusses on including these groups at every stage including the production process, allowing people the time and space to collaboratively explore the reimagination of the news and media system. The Guardian Foundation and the award-winning Guardian multimedia team are partnering with local organisations across the UK on an ambitious video project, part-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

In partnership with organisations in selected UK towns, carefully chosen talented local storytellers go through a tailored training programme and join a specialist video unit from The Guardian, empowering them to tell their own story. The result is top class video journalism, examining the social challenges people are facing, and working together with local people to cover the issues that affect them.

This is about changing the way the news and media works, opening up a radical new approach to community filmmaking, and through this, reframing how we report on Britain’s social problems.
We are working with:
  • Doncopolitan, Doncaster

  • Elephant's Trail, Bury and Rochdale

  • Northern Film and Media's Tees Valley Screen, Hartlepool

  • Church Action Poverty, Darwen

  • Screen Education Edinburgh, Edinburgh and Tredegar

  • Four Corners, London

  • Cymru Creations, Wales

  • Watch the films

    Made in Bury: Elephant in the Room
    A community fights a mental health crisis
    Made in Doncaster: I am not your subject
    Three working-class women from Doncaster take us on a journey through 2020.
    Made in North Edinburgh: bringing a festival back to life
    The story of residents' fight to bring back their festival.
    Made in Middlesbrough: It takes a village
    Sunita reflects on her upbringing in Middlesbrough.
    Made in London: Solidarity Britannia
    Unearth some of these hidden stories in Lynda Ouazar's part of east London.
    Made in Liverpool: This land is our land
    With development spreading rapidly from Liverpool city centre, residents fear for the future of their community – and now they are starting to fight back.
    Made in Tredegar: the Welsh town that changed the world
    A small group of community film-makers with a keen sense of history set up a huge network of volunteers to help the people of the area through the pandemic.
    Registered charity: 1153865