Every third week in June during what is known nationally as Refugee Week, Migration Matters Festival ‘Britain’s largest festival about Sanctuary and refugees in the country’ (The New Internationalist, 2017) returns to Sheffield in a festival that creates a platform to champion the voices of people who are so often muted, pigeon-holed into labels and … More
Many of us are now turning to online videoconferencing platforms as a means of collaborating; the number of people using Zoom rose from 10 million in December 2019 to almost 300 million in April 2020. When you’re engaged in any online meeting, you’ll be working with a range of diverse needs, as you would face-to-face. So … More
Carers Week takes place in June and aims to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families, communities, workplaces and society throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.
There are 6.5 million people in the UK who are carers. They are looking after a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness or who needs extra help as they grow older.
Caring can impact on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and this should not be underestimated.
There are many ways exhibitors and venues can support carers, from considering accessibility for the people they care for to offering cinema escapism through film, social networks through film groups and screenings, and supporting carers in the workplace.
It’s vitally important that we recognise carers, either as customers, audiences or employees, for the difficulties they may be experiencing, respect them for all they are doing, and provide them with information, support and understanding.
How much of the built environment was accessible in 1980s Britain? This government-sponsored film aimed to raise awareness about the importance of inclusive design to give disabled people independence. Ten years before the first UK disability discrimination legislation came into force, we can see a lot more needs to be done.
At least 1 in 6 people in the UK are affected by deafness. This number incorporates a wide range of experiences and forms of communication, but no matter the specific need, the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing deserve to be able to enjoy the cinema. We created this guide to help you understand the challenges Deaf people … More
Project overview Iris in the Community was a Big Lottery funded project which ran from 2015 -2018. Its aims were to work with communities across Wales to make their own film and deliver their own mini-Iris film festival utilising films from our back catalogue. During the life of the project we engaged with 30 groups … More
Whether you already caption, aren’t sure if you need to caption, or are completely new to closed captioning, you’ll find something to learn in this guide.
The social class of cinema audiences is a subject that is not widely discussed. This piece explores exit polls from cinema showings, and talks about the implications of this work.
The CEA Card is a national card scheme developed by the UK Cinema Association for UK cinemas. The scheme was introduced in 2004 and is one of the ways for participating cinemas to ensure they provide a consistent voluntary approach to making reasonable adjustments for disabled guests when they go to the cinema. Around 90 … More
… the Film Audience Network (FAN)’s UK-wide project to support exhibitors in welcoming everyone to participate in cinema, by countering cultural, systemic or physical barriers.
The project champions the aims of FAN – to bring British, international and independent film to audiences. With a focus on young audiences (16-30) and a skilled, confident, exhibition sector, access is at the heart of FAN’s strategy. In partnership with our creative network of exhibitors, we celebrate meaningful representations of diversity behind the camera, on screen and in our audiences, working towards the BFI Diversity Standards.
The project is led by Film Hub Wales, as one of eight lead organisations supporting the Film Audience Network, an initiative delivered by BFI using National Lottery funding. The other hubs are Film Hub Scotland, Film Hub Northern Ireland, Film Hub North, Film Hub Midlands, Film Hub South East, Film Hub South West, and Film Hub London.
We collaborate with organisations such as Into Film, Cinema for All, the Independent Cinema Office, the UK Cinema Association, and specialist partners to ensure our work compliments existing efforts to support UK cinema exhibition.
Supported by National Lottery funding, BFI FAN is a unique collaboration of eight Film Hubs, managed by leading film organisations and venues strategically placed around the UK. Established in 2012, it now has over 1,200 members, including cinemas, festivals, multi-arts venues, community cinemas and film archives, and is at the heart of the BFI’s strategy to build larger and more diverse audiences for UK and international film and a thriving cinema exhibition sector.
Find out more in the downloads section on this page.
From cinema chains to community pop-ups, the Film Audience Network champions accessible cinema, striving for inclusion for everyone.
