Introducing the Film In Colour Society
Film In Colour is a society formed by Screen and Film School Brighton students as safe space for POC to share their experiences, culture and build friendships in an environment where they felt isolated.
We caught up with Screen and Film School Brighton Second Year, and one of the Film In Colour Representatives, Natasha Maworera to discuss the creation of the society, why it’s so important for the members, and what they have planned in the upcoming months.
What does the Film In Colour Society mean to you?
The society to me is something that was needed. I’ve been at the film school now for just over a year and I’ve frequently had to filter myself because most people around don’t understand what I’m all about. It becomes emotionally draining quite quickly, not having someone to talk to who can relate. One thing I remember is seeing Lauren (another second-year student) on one of the induction days last year, and wanting to approach her but feeling super anxious about it, so I walked past. It wasn’t until our first FIC society meeting that I realised that most of us went through something that was similar. The society to me means that change is happening- even on a small scale. You have to appreciate that to us, having this space to pop up and talk about even the most insignificant thing is important.
What was the first meeting for Film In Colour like?
The first meeting was weird at the start. We were all quite shy and I think having Yinka from the Student Services Team there to reassure us we could say whatever we wanted helped to push us out of that awkward phase. We answered a series of questions about inclusivity that the film school wanted to know for areas they needed to improve upon. It wasn’t all just us complaining though, we got to know each other too. Where we were from, how long we had been there for… Some people shared what they were specialising in or working on, and our mental health during lockdown. It was our longest meeting to this day. It was great seeing that there were more POC students in the school because we’re so spread out so most of us hardly saw each other before this.
What are the goals of the society?
We want to tackle things one step at a time. Most of the students are in second and third year so we are trying not to set too many goals for ourselves and add to the stress. Our main goals now are to assign roles (such as president, VP, social media manager etc. so that work is divided equally between members) and to collaborate long term with a local charity in creating content for them and potentially fundraise as well. There’s a long list of goals that we keep adding to depending on what people want to do but we are keeping our focus minimal while we settle into the new academic year.
How do students join and who is it open to?
There are many ways to join. The easiest way is to follow our Instagram @filmincolourbrighton and send us a message. Another way is to send us an email at [email protected] and we can answer any questions you have, or we can add you to our group chat. It is open to any ‘BAME’ students who want to join. The reason for this is so that it remains a safe space for us and to avoid POC voices getting drowned out like before
What can we expect to see from you in the upcoming months?
Expect to hear more from us this coming year. There are a lot of talented people in the society who are currently working on unique and interesting projects outside of the film school and we are fully supportive. We will continue to share any exciting developments on our Instagram page, and we only hope that there are a lot of them.
