TOR Development Programme

Update - February 2008
The TOR programme got off to a great start this month with an event at Watershed, Bristol on 9 February 2008 to welcome the participants. Ten teams (10 professionals and 18 young people) are involved from across the region. Over the coming weeks, they will take part in five practical workshops in animation, script development, the business of editing, presentation skills and make a mini-movie in a day. After this teams will devise and work on their own projects, supported by a coach. A final showcase of all the work produced will take place at the end of June.

TOR Development Programme - An Outline

Created by South West Screen and RiO, TOR is a six month development programme for teams made up of a creative digital media professional and one or two young people. TOR treats young people as equal partners, creating space for discussion, reflection and exploration between them and the adults they work with.

Who TOR is for:

• TOR is designed to appeal to creative professionals who are committed to working with young people as part of their long-term career plan and
• Young people who are interested in developing their skills and creative ideas through digital media, and want to increase the responsibility they have for a project.

TOR aims to:

• Develop young people's confidence, team working, direction, creativity, flexibility, communication, aspirations, media literacy, project management and technical skills;
• Develop creative professionals' skill level, confidence, coaching skills, direction, communication and project management, and create time to reflect on personal goals and share best practice.

Objectives of TOR:

• To provide an opportunity for creative professionals and young people to work together in partnership for their mutual professional development;
• To develop and support a network of creative professionals and young people in the South West;
• To provide CPD for creative professionals who work with young people, and young people with an opportunity to develop their skills;
• To enable creative professionals and young people to create a piece of work that will be screened and can be included on their CV's and show reels.

Participants benefit from a package of support that includes group events, a series of digital media related workshops and an action learning group for creative professionals. Each team has the opportunity to develop and manage their own digital media project (such as a short film, a script, a film club, an event, a website) supported by a coach/ facilitator.

This project is supported by South West Screen with National Lottery funding on behalf of the UK Film Council through RIFE; RiO - the Real Ideas Organisation - who manage the Creative Partnerships programme in the South West; and the Arts Council of England with funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

A pilot phase of TOR took place in 2007. Click here to download a copy of a publication 'TOR: a new way of working' which outlines the pilot programme and resulting projects. If you would like a printed copy that includes a DVD of all the films produced, please email us.

You can watch eight short films made through the TOR programme in 2007 via the TOR Channel on Chew TV. Films made by the current TOR participants will be added as soon as they are completed in June.

More information