CSV Moving On Islington Media Skills initiative.
Leading volunteering and training charity, CSV is calling on people throughout Islington to share their thoughts on the impact of having Arsenal football club at the heart of their community. (June-December 2006).
CSV is co-ordinating the Moving On Media project, where local residents in the Islington community will have the opportunity to develop media skills in radio production, photoshop, web design and film production, to help record the memories. These free courses, which run until December, will equip students with the skills to record interviews and gather video footage on the various memories and experiences, as the Gunners move from Highbury to the new Emirates Stadium.
The Arsenal Heritage project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund is managed by CSV’s Kate Waring. She feels that this initiative will enable the community to voice their opinions on Arsenal’s success, and document how the community has evolved over the years. “We have been given the opportunity to record previously ‘untold’ stories and ‘unseen’ photographs of the club and the Islington area over the past 93 years, from when Arsenal first moved to Islington”.
Paul Douglas, owner of Arsenal Hair Hunters Barber shop, which is located on Highbury Park, near the Stadium, has vivid memories of classic Arsenal wins, such as watching The Gunners become league champions in 1989 and winning the League and Cup Double in 1998.
He says: “If you took Arsenal out of Islington, we’d all be poorer. I have experienced the cultural impact that Arsenal has brought to Islington, with a rising multicultural community embedded in the borough. We have players from many countries including France, Scandinavia, Western Africa, Brazil, and the Czech Republic, who enjoy entertaining the fans.”
Kate Waring believes that the community’s response to the project has been very positive and local residents feel that the club has helped to forge a positive multicultural community spirit in the area.
“The success of the project depends largely on the local community sharing their stories and experiences. To get involved you can contact me to register for one of the courses or just get in touch to tell us your stories or pass on old photos”.
To get involved, residents can either register for a course or contact us with any photos or stories on 020 7527 6664. All photos will be returned.
Moving on Media Skills courses on offer:
1. Radio Production – This course offers valid experience in digital editing and interview preparation.
2. Photoshop – Learn to take photos using web digital packages for the Arsenal website and for next year’s Arsenal exhibition.
3. Web Design – Students will be taught the fundamentals of designing websites using Dreamweaver for the Arsenal Heritage Project.
4. Film Production – Develop techniques of film making using
a DV camera and Final Cut Pro video editing skills. Record film packages on Arsenal FC in Islington.
Anyone who would like to contribute their memories of the impact of Arsenal in the community or who would like more information on the courses contact CSV Media Clubhouse London on 020 7527 6664 / arsenalheritage@csv.org.uk, Finsbury Park Learning Zone on 020 7619 3991/ lucybell@isonline.org or the Arsenal Red Zone on 020 7704 4509/ sineadgannon@isonline.org
Arsenal Footlball Club, Highbury, Avenell Road, London N5 1BU
Further press information: Robin Sprott or Jason Tanner, CSV Press Office on 020 7812 0038/33
Notes for Editors
1. Arsenal is one of the most famous clubs in English football history with a strong tradition in winning FA Cup silverware. The club was formed in 1886 and moved to Highbury in 1913, as a second division side. The North London club have won FA Cup honours on ten occasions and have also won league and Premiership titles since the late thirties. The 2002/03 Premiership season saw the Gunners break football records by winning the Premiership, without a single defeat. For more information on Arsenal Football Club visit www.arsenal.com
2. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Each year 195,000 people give 4.9 million hours of their time as volunteers through CSV.