During the long history of the Focus Media Arts Centre’s presence in Regent Park, we have been telling the stories of Regent Park. These stories recognize both the struggles and aspirations of generations of area residents, from newcomers, to seniors, to youth, Focus has provided an opportunity to share knowledge, connect with community, and to make a difference at both the local and broader levels of society: from community centre to City Hall.
Among the various activities that Focus Media Arts Centre undertakes, it has many youth programs, including the coop program I am presently a part of. These programs include podcasts run by youth, and a music program. These programs provide many opportunities to students to help them learn and gain experience in media. Some students may even be hired as full-time staff at Focus Media Arts Centre during the summer. I would like to take this opportunity to present an impact statement from one of our youth who is currently working as coop students at Focus. Leah Glasgow is high school student and had the following to say about her involvement with Focus Media Arts Centre.
“My name is Leah Glasgow, and I am a co-op student working at Regent Park Focus Media Arts Center, it has been one of the greatest opportunities that happened to me. The media center is dedicated to spreading awareness on social issues around Regent Park. Before attending Focus Media Arts Center, I never really gave much thought that I could make a difference in the community. I would always hear about the issues on the news or on social media and it would get me riled up, but I believed that it was out of my hands. It was not until I went to film the protest for climate change with Focus Media Center, that I saw how I can help make an impact and it has inspired me to be a voice for change.” Leah Glasgow
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About LJI
LJI Impact is the section of commediaportal.ca where the journalists and their organizations participating in CACTUS' Local Journalism Initiative can share their greatest successes.
Through the written stories, photos and videos you see in the LJI Impact section, you'll be able to read first hand accounts about how the presence of a community journalist is making a difference in communities across Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative and the Community Media Portal.
The Community Media Portal is a gateway to the audio-visual media created by community media centres across Canada. These include traditional community TV and radio stations, as well as online and new media production centres.
Community media are not-for-profit production hubs owned and operated by the communities they serve, established both to provide local content and reflection for their communities, as well as media training and access for ordinary citizens to the latest tools of media production, whether traditional TV and radio, social and online media, virtual reality, augmented reality or video games.
The Community Media Portal has been funded by the Local Journalism Initiative (the LJI) of the Department of Canadian Heritage, and administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) in association with the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec (the Fédération). Under the LJI, over 100 journalists have been placed in underserved communities and asked to produce civic content that underpins Canadian democratic life.
