We’re inviting organisations to sponsor a Mobile Storytelling workshop so that more people can learn digital media skills to amplify their voices and tell their own stories using new media.

Our Version Media is on a mission to equip people from black and marginalised communities with digital media skills to tell their own stories.

It’s part of our commitment to boosting the amount of positive and authentic content from – and about – those communities who are often demonised by the press.

Our 2020 media survey of black people living in Southampton showed the importance of this when it revealed the harm that persistent negative stereotyping has on people’s self-esteem, wellbeing and life chances. While negative portrayal had a negative effect on wellbeing, positive and authentic portrayal had a positive effect.

Through community activism and digital media, we’re making real stories more visible, upskilling individuals and communities to shine a spotlight on their real lives, diversity, and neighbourhoods, counteracting negative stereotypes at the same time.

We teach people how to create, film and edit impactful videos using a smartphone. It’s called Mobile Storytelling and now more and more people across the city have the skills and confidence to tell their own stories. Almost every day on social media, we’re seeing content that people have created using the skills we taught them. Read what they say about it.

How can you help? For our first three years, we provided our Mobile Storytelling to local people from black and marginalised communities for free. We did this on a voluntary basis too, meaning we didn’t get paid. For us, the mission was more important than the money; we were satisfied with the happiness and social impact that our work generated. However, this was – and is – not a sustainable way to run a social enterprise. Now, we partner with like-minded local organisations who buy or sponsor our workshops so that more people can learn the skills to amplify local voices.

Please contact us to discuss buying or sponsoring a workshop. You can buy a workshop for your communities, staff or services users, or you can sponsor a workshop for local residents. Whichever you choose, you’ll be supporting our mission to amplify local voices.