Forum: Media, Convergence and Mouse-clicks

MELBOURNE -- SPINACH7 and c2o/TOY SATELLITE presents UPGRADE AVAILABLE - Media, Convergence and Mouse-clicks, a mini-forum that will discuss how independent and community-based media practitioners can engage with communications technologies. It will investigate the challenges faced in the areas of funding and distribution and provide some models for organisations and networks that can assist media-makers to reach their audiences.

Speakers include:

MJ Kim - (LabourMediaNet, MediACT, Jinbonet) On the establishment of a community based media culture centre in Seoul - bridging production, media literacy education, exhibition and advocacy. Mr Kim's presentation will be shown on video, specifically produced for this forum.

Andrew Garton - (c2o, Toy Satellite, APC) presenting different models being used within the Asia Region to train, produce and distribute media content, including opportunities within Victoria, both in urban and rural communities.

Keren Flavell - (Spring Time Productions) will present the online documentary 'Sounds Like Techno'. She will give an overview of the production and funding process and the challenges involved in creating the project.

Nick Ritar - (Media Arts Lecturer, Swinburne University) discusses his involvement in setting up a 'community technology centre' in regional NSW and gives some suggestions as to how such a centre could be established in Melbourne.

Date : Tuesday October 5th - 7:00pm to 9:00pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)
Location : OPEN CHANNEL - 13 Victoria Street, Fitzroy
Cost : $5 or by donation (proceeds go to Open Channel)

In order to get a sense of numbers, we'd like you to RSVP to OpenChannel by calling 03 9419 5111. However, you don't need to book in order to attend!

Speaker Biographies:

Myoungjoon Kim is a member of the independent labor video activist organization, Labor News Production <http://www.lnp89.org>, president of media center MediACT <http://www.mediact.org> and board member of JinboNet <http://www.jinbo.net>. He has been active in the promotion of labor media activism and the implementation and legislation of public media policy. He has also been an advocate on issues relate with the independent film and video, documentary, media literacy and the internet.

Andrew Garton is a producer, composer with a long involvement in community radio and video production initiatives in NSW. Since 1989 he has contributed to the development of low-cost computer networks in Australia and countless community networking initiatives throughout Asia Pacific. He is a Council Member of the Association for Progressive Communications <http://www.apc.org>, and contributes to information technology rights forums. Andrew is a Director of c2o (Community Communications Online) <http://c2o.org> and Toy Satellite <http://toysatellite.org>.

Keren Flavell is a new media and documentary producer based in Melbourne. Her most recent online documentary, Sounds Like Techno, won the Gold Hugo award at the Chicago Film Festival Intercom Awards and was selected for Sundance Online Film Festival and Real: Life on Film Festival. <http://www.soundsliketechno.com>

Nick Ritar is a video artist and new media lecturer. In the late nineties Nick became involved with Octapod an artist run space in Newcastle NSW, and the annual alternative arts festivals they produce. From Oct 2000 to Feb 2002 he was Director of the Dungog Technology and Learning Centre, managing it from startup to winning 'NSW Community Technology Centre of the Year 2001' ahead of 40 other centres. Nick is co-founder of the video arts and performance duo, Cicada <http://www.cicada.tv/>.