Iris Prize celebrates National Lottery award to support ambitious three-year project
Organisers of the Iris Prize have launched a Wales-wide, three-year project working with community groups from across the country to discuss issues faced by LGBT+ people.
The Iris Prize successfully applied for £195,330 from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Working with the LGBT+ community and their allies, the team are looking for community groups who, thanks to the support of National Lottery players during these challenging times, will produce a film addressing issues faced by the LGBT+ community. All of the completed films will be available to watch online.
The Iris Prize intend to build on their previous Iris in the Community project, creating more opportunities for community members to make films that relay a campaign for change.
Team Iris will be working with 10 community groups to discuss issues faced by the LGBT+ community and produce a film in response. Beneficiaries will have opportunities to take part in acting workshops, and gain skills in filmmaking and scriptwriting. The groups involved do not need to work within the LGBT+ community, but will be diverse in their membership, for example welcoming people with learning disabilities.
Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director, commented: “Without this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund we would not be able to run this project. We have been inundated by community groups across Wales asking if we could work with them, today we can confirm, with a very BIG YES!”
“2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the repeal of one of the most controversial pieces of legislation to impact on the lives of LGBTI+ people in the UK: Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.
“This is a fabulous opportunity for our community groups to take stock and reflect on where we are today as LGBT+ people. The fact that we will have 10 films produced at the end of this project is an added bonus. Film continues to be a very democratic way for people to share their ideas and to reach new audiences. Our community groups will I’m sure benefit from this amazing experience.”
Community groups who are interested in discovering more should start with a visit to www.irisprize.org/community where they can complete a form to express an interest.
Derek Preston-Hughes, Funding Manager at The National Lottery Community Fund said: “We are delighted to be able to support The Iris Prize with this project. They have already played an incredible role in addressing issues faced by the LGBT+ community over the years, and it’s great that they can now build on this, thanks to National Lottery players. Projects such as this are making a huge difference to people’s lives and to communities across Wales.”
National Lottery players raise £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. To find out more about applying for a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to help your community adapt, recover and thrive, visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/wales.
The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation, Welsh Government, the BFI awarding funds from The National Lottery, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Film 4, University of South Wales, Co-op Respect, Bad Wolf, Gorilla Group, Peccadillo Pictures, Pinewood Studios, Attitude Magazine, Diva Magazine and The Ministry of Sound.
The festival also works in partnership with BAFTA Cymru, Pride Cymru and Stonewall Cymru.