The Trust for Social Achievement Foundation, together with Goethe-Institut Bulgaria and the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at “St. Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia are pleased to extend an open invitation for the journalism seminar Media Incubator.
The Roma minority, its place and role in society and social processes, as well as the human and civil rights of the Roma, are among the most pressing issues in Bulgaria and Europe, with the media playing a key role in setting the tone and navigating the dialogue. That is why the second consecutive edition of the Media Incubator Project in Bulgaria will focus on the topic of anti-Gypsyism in audiovisual media - from its appearance until present day. The seminar will consist of a a theoretical and practical part.
The theoretical part will introduce the participants to the latest findings of the Research Center for Anti-Gypsyism at the Department of History of Heidelberg University. The discussion will be based on Radmila Mladenova’s research which covers over 120 feature films and 35 documentaries produced throughout the history of cinema. In addition, the participants will have the opportunity to learn from the experyience of a number of journalists and film directors who have dedicated much of their careers to covering the life of minority groups in Bulgaria and the region.
In the practical part, the participants will be given the chance to discuss with prominent experts in journalism and cinema the ethical aspects and tools used in the visual representation of minorities, and to put into practice the acquired knowledge and skills through different tasks which they could later implement later in their work. .
The training provides an opportunity for young journalists, journalism students and students in the field of social sciences and the humanities, who have an interest in audiovisual media and social reporting in particular, to learn from well-known cinema and media professionals in about:
· the different ways in which minorities groups are and have been represented in the audiovisual media;
· the methods through which pejorative attitudes towards the Roma are formed in the audiovisual media;
· the ways in which young journalists, film directors and screenwriters avoid the narratives of social exclusion and discrimination in their works;
· the benefits of Roma integration in the audiovisual media.
The Media Incubator seminar is aimed at initiating a dialogue between young journalists, students and anyone seeking realization in social and documentary filmmaking and established professionals in the field, who together could explore ways for promoting positive attitudes towards minorities among the general public.
Participants in the Media Incubator Academy will have the opportunity to be together in a program that could help them acquire new knowledge while expanding their skills for intercultural dialogue. The seminar aims at provoking the participants to think critically, making them pay attention to the anti-gypsy constructions that constantly appear in the media, and making them realize that even a simple change in perspective, lighting, camera settings, etc. plays a central role in how characters are presented in the audiovisual world.
If you are interested in this event, answer the three short questions which you will find in the form below by September 2, 2021. You can send the answers directly to the following e-mail address: valentina.spiridonova.extern@goethe.de
The seminar will be held at Goethe Institute Bulgaria, 1 Budapest St, Sofia in the period 4-7 October (4 full days).
YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE JOURNALISM SEMINAR „MEDIA INCUBATOR“ AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
https://www.goethe.de/ins/bg/bg/m/kul/ser/ppr/min.html