Arts Organisations

For this section, I will be reviewing the Showroom Workstation in Sheffield, and Creative England.

THE SHOWROOM WORKSTATION

It is the largest independent cinema outside of London. The Showroom Cinema has 4 screens, and often screens a lot of a independent films alongside the more common blockbusters. It also home to Sheffield's BFI Film Academy. The Workstation is a building just off of the cinema that houses a number of different other organisations, including Sheffield Live radio station.

Holds talks on different genres of film, such as Gothic. I went to a talk during the Gothic period at the Showroom, that was all about Jan Svankmajer, and it was really interesting.

CREATIVE ENGLAND

Creative England is an agency that runs in Britain, investing in creative endeavours such as film and theatre. They are on of the biggest film funders in the UK. They also give support with film production, support for gaming companies, and they run low-budget feature-film initiative "iFeatures", along with its short-film counterpart "iShorts".

Creative England does not, however, provide funding to anyone in full-time education.

FUTURE PATHWAYS:

Both of these arts organisations are very important to anyone who is interested in entering the film industry in the North of England.

The Showroom is a very important figure in the Yorkshire film industry, with many film enthusiasts regarding it as one of the only independent cinemas worth going to. This is because it shows independent films, whilst maintaining a high standard of quality. I feel that watching films is one of - if not the most important things in becoming a filmmaker. Learning from the experts is on of the best ways to improve yourself.

There is also a bar, where many film enthusiasts gather to discuss film. And eat cake, because the cake is great. I feel this will be important to me as a filmmaker, as connecting with other film lovers is one of the most integral parts of networking. The Showroom bar is also home to the South Yorkshire Film Network's "Showroom Shorts," where filmmakers can show off their new short films. This could prove to be very important, as it would be a great place to show any short films that I make.

Creative England provides a huge amount of funding to filmmakers in Britain, and I may one day rely on them to fund a project. They also provide resources and advice with creative endeavours, and I need to bear them in mind as I move forward with my career in film. However, at present they are not the most integral thing, as I am unable to attain a grant or any form of funding due to my still being at school.