The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Community Media Association (CMA) Arts Strategy 2010-2012

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Community Media Association (CMA), a United Kingdom (UK)-based organisation committed to promoting access to the media for people and communities, is coordinating a 2-year project focused on establishing creative and enduring collaborations between community media practitioners and the arts. This is an effort to enhance participation and engagement in the arts by reaching out to wider audiences through community media and encouraging arts content through these mediums. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every citizen in the country has a guaranteed minimum level of access to the means of participating and enjoying the creative arts on platforms which they own and control. Specific goals of the project include:
  • Promoting innovation and excellence in current arts-based practice and advocating future models of arts and community media collaboration;
  • Advocating the sector's place as a participant in the arts and digital media fields; and
  • Raising the profile of the sector as a key partner for arts and creative activities.
Communication Strategies

CMA understands "community media" to include community radio and television broadcasters, community-based independent filmmakers, and internet and digital and social media groups. Their output is produced by and for particular communities - whether these are geographical, cultural, ethnic, generational, or virtual communities. CMA contends that community media bring people together to share their stories and ideas, giving communities a voice and encouraging diversity, creativity, engagement, and participation.

To support the connections and intersections of community media and the arts, CMA's advocacy project involves:

  • Bringing the community media sector and the wider arts sector together in a series of regionally based symposia;
  • Promoting ways of working with community media organisations directly to arts organisations;
  • Promoting the sector's arts activity to potential key partners through a series of regional stakeholder meetings;
  • Supporting the development of a national network of regionally based community media champions;
  • Developing pilot collaborations between arts organisations and community media organisations; and
  • Establishing community media organisations' potential as partners in audience development activities.

To learn more about the full strategy, please click here.

Development Issues

Community Media and Development.

Key Points

CMA aims to enable people to establish and develop community-based communications media for empowerment, cultural expression, information, and entertainment.

Partners

The Voluntary Arts Network (VAN) and Arts Council England.

Sources

Email from Shawn Sobers to the OURMEDIA-L listserv on March 30 2010; CMA website, April 26 2010; and email from Tamar Millen to The Communication Initiative on April 27 2010.

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