Member Article

Film-makers are in business thanks to Teesside internship

Four film-makers have set up a social enterprise thanks to a successful internship programme at Teesside University.

Steve Thompson, Community Engagement Coordinator at DigitalCity at Teesside University, employed six Teesside University graduates at the beginning of the year to work on video projects for his East Cleveland Online social enterprise.

After completing the three-month paid internship, four of the interns have now set up their own social enterprise, WhatAbout Films, to build upon the work they have done with Steve.

Sam McGurry, 22, from Billingham, Adam Mendum, 22, from Skelton, Lance Julian, 22, from Redcar, and Alasdair Elmes, 27, from York graduated from Teesside University in 2013 with BA (Hons) Television and Film Production before setting up WhatAbout Films.

They’ve since launched their first completed project, a video guide at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum in Skinningrove.

The video guide for the mining museum at Skinningrove is projected onto a blank wall at the end of the drift mine and gives the appearance of a nineteenth century miner sitting down to have his break while explaining to visitors what life is like in the mine.

Adam said WhatAbout Films intend to work on similar projects, using their multimedia skills to support community groups and organisations.

“It will primarily be a video production business with wide social aims to reach out to the community,” he said.

“Our main mission is to create, support and spread media production in the local area and wider region.

“Working as a social enterprise, a business can be used to create a beneficial social impact.”

Steve Thompson, who is also Teesside University’s Social Entrepreneur in Residence, added: “During their three months working with me, the interns did some fantastic projects around East Cleveland, producing work, not just for the mining museum, but also for Whitecliffe Primary School and Freebrough Academy, sponsored by Teesside University.

“It’s great that these four have now gone on to set up their own social enterprise and I have been able to use both of my roles as community engagement coordinator and social entrepreneur in residence to help them.”

WhatAbout Films has also been supported with a grant of £2,000 from Teesside University’s social entrepreneurship fund, which has been made possible by a £45,000 allocation from UnLtd, the leading provider of support for social entrepreneurs.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .