Southampton: The Birthplace of Our Storytelling Movement
Our Version Media was created in Southampton, Hampshire. Five years on, while our work reaches worldwide, we’re still maintain our Hampshire roots – working with the region’s black-led community organisations, black-owned businesses, local residents and allies. As a social enterprise, we reinvest our profits into amplifying black voices, training community storytellers and challenging harmful narratives.
Here are some of the ways we’ve empowered people in Southampton over the past five years:
Provided free Mobile Storytelling training and digital media training black residents, community organisers, community activists and community volunteers.
Provided free Roving Reporter workshops to teach people how to make events coverage – and highlight their community’s events.
Supported and amplified black businesses through our free Black-Owned Business Directory and Black-Owned Business Network.
Shown self-told, made-by-mobile. local black stories on the big screen at our annual Black Community Stories Screenings
Put black love and feel-good Black British films in the spotlight at our “Black In Focus” film nights – a protest to mainstream cinema’s preference of showing black trauma films
Hosted a weekly Black Community Coverage Clinic to provide free media, marketing, and social media support and advice to community organisers, activists, volunteers, and community group leaders.
Community projects with African, Caribbean and black-led community groups
Offer pro-bono services, including media training, story generation, and marketing support to African and Caribbean cultural organisations, including connecting communities with local journalists
Started a YouTube channel to share authentic black stories made by learners during our courses.