What does AMES actually do?
Statistics don't tell the whole story, but they help set the scene. Since 1997, we've helped put a hundred films in the can (or should we now say, 'on the hard drive?') and over 300 people have graduated from our various programs.
What, you might ask, do all of our students have in common? Whether because of their class, their 'past', their sexuality, ability, age or 'race', they've all had their voices marginalized by the mainstream.
The issues they tackle in their videos cover a broad spectrum: from racism and homophobia to addiction, homelessness and sexual exploitation. Their voices and visions carry the weight of personal experience. They are free from the blinkers and filters of mainstream media. They are stories told from the inside.
We're proud of the way our students take media back into their hands, but that's only the starting-point: by 'getting the word out', our graduates and peer educators pass on their skills, knowledge and experience into classrooms, and to the public at large.
Guided by the evolving needs and interests of the organizations and individuals we serve, we have gradually developed two primary strains of programming: Identity-Based and Issue-Based. Follow the links below to learn more about these programs, collaborative projects and educational initiatives:
Identity-Based programming targets individuals from particular communities and provides them with basic media production training and a safe environment in which they can freely express themselves through video.
Issue-Based programming focuses on the production of issue-based videos for the express purpose of education, advocacy, and outreach. This type of programming, as seen in initiatives such as PEER PERSPECTIVES and SMOKE SCREEN targets both organizations and individuals.