The film brought together a wide range of people from these areas – including residents, developers, business owners and local politicians – to explore these big issues, share stories, visit one another’s neighbourhoods, and better understand one another.

 

Do the benefits of large-scale regeneration really ‘ripple out’ into poorer communities, or could they? Can different economic groups really be connected through regeneration initiatives? And can different communities overcome barriers and work together for mutual benefit?

 

The film was produced in a collaborative manner that directly involved contributors in editing and shaping it. Filmmaker Dave Tomalin explains: ‘There are constantly media spotlights focused on marginalised communities, and it is rarely the case that those people in the spotlight are able to inform the way they are represented. There are no heroes or villains in this challenging film and this is largely due to the editorial involvement of those who are sharing their experiences on screen.’

 

Fran Moss, one of the film participants, adds: ‘In somewhere like Holbeck, people don’t feel they have a voice. But this film was different: they really wanted to know mypoint of view, and involved us in the film-making and editing. It was good but challenging to hear the perspective of different people – like developers – who you’d never meet in everyday life. I learnt a lot, and taking part in the film changed me!’

 

The ‘Ripples Out’ film and screenings were commissioned and funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward. As Thea Stein, their Executive Director of Economic Inclusion explains: ‘We commissioned ‘Ripples Out’ as part of our work engaging with communities affected by those key regeneration schemes we are actively involved in, across the region. We fervently believe that true success is success that everyone can be a part of and benefit from. It is through the open approach, demonstrated through this film, with which we will discover the needs of our communities and those businesses which are embedded within them; working to create a place where they will want to continue to live and work.’

 

‘Ripples Out’ was produced by local film company Lippy Films with Together for Peace, as part of their ‘In One City’ series of films that aim to generate challenging conversations on topical social themes amongst different people across Leeds. Their next 'In One City' film is likely to be working with diverse young people around east Leeds in early 2010, in partnership with the Leeds Migration Partnership.