Minutes EC meeting 8th June 2023

Discussion

The following resolution was circulated to the EC to ensure there was majority agreement with the decision to fund Lisa Smith’s training opportunity which needed to be taken before May 31st.

Lisa Smith, ACERT chair has been offered a place on a year long Training and Mentoring Programme for female identifying film makers from marginalised backgrounds provided by CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator | Training Initiative. She aims to create a feature documentary  that is aimed at preserving the cultural memory of Romani Travellers stopping places in England & Wales through a personal family perspective. Its aim is to bring issues facing us to the attention of an international audience. The project will aims to critically examine the legislation surrounding Gypsy status.
This EC believes that the planned documentary will be a powerful educational resource within the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and among broader society, focusing on the part nomadic Romani people have played. We also believe that Lisa will develop skills which she will make available to other community members to support and encourage them in using film as a medium to challenge discrimination and promote equal opportunity.
The members of this EC, as trustees of ACERT agree, to make a contribution to the course fee of £3000 on the understanding that the skills gained and the finished product will be used to support the objects of the charity.

Action

7 trustees responded before the deadline, all supporting the resolution.

Siobhan had not been successful in identifying funding to support Lisa’s training but we should use her experience to develop a bid to the 2023 Lottery Community Fund. Movement for Change is another potential source of funding. ACERT have joined M4C but we have not attended meetings. We need to do that if we wish to have bid considered seriously.