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Council Minutes
December 2004
8th December 2004
Community Relations Council
Communications Committee Meeting
Wednesday 8 December 2004, 2.30 pm
CRC Board Room
Minutes
Present: Eamonn McCartan (Chair), Maureen Hetherington, Frances McCandless, Michael Wardlow.
Apologies: Malachi O'Doherty, Robin Wilson.
In attendance: Maurna Crozier, Duncan Morrow, Ray Mullan, Ellana Tomasso
1 Minutes
It was agreed that the minutes of the previous meeting (October 2004) should be written in a shorter form and re-submitted for confirmation.
2 Matters arising
The Committee had scope for the appointment of one more co-opted member. It was agreed that the need was for someone with a visual arts background. Dr Morrow and Mr Mullan are to source possible candidates and report back to the committee.
3 Chair's Business
3.1 The Council's Annual Report for 2003-4 had now been published and committee members were given copies for their perusal. It was discussed whether the Report could be produced more cost effectively. However, it was acknowledged that it was important to print the Report in full to ensure all legal requirements were fulfilled.
3.2 The Council recently received a Silver Award in the Community Section of the prestigious Institute of Public Relations Pride Awards at the Europa Hotel in recognition of Community Relations Week 2004. This further underlined the success of the Week.
4 Publications Grant Scheme
There has been an underspend in the Publications Grant Scheme in recent years due to the shortage of quality applications. This has been taken up by other CRC grant schemes.
The committee was presented with three options:
- Option 1- continue the scheme as at present without change
- Option 2- discontinue the scheme
- Option 3- relaunch the scheme in a different form
Option 1 was not recommended as there appeared to be insufficient local publishers able to apply with suitable projects.
Option 2 was considered and other CRC grant schemes could use the funding. However it was still felt there was merit in attempting to revive the scheme as there was a need for good quality community relations learning resources.
Option 3 was felt by the committee to be the most effective way of using the funding. Educators and Trainers should be encouraged to produce community relations training materials, particularly where these would be used as part of established training programmes. There should therefore be a particular effort made to encourage relevant applications from community relations training and learning organisations. Applications for relevant titles would continue to be considered from existing commercial publishers with retail distribution outlets.
Action
The Publications Scheme criteria to be revised in the light of the committee's decision and the scheme marketed more actively and appropriately in the next financial year.
5 Media Grant Scheme
The Media Grant Scheme criteria were presented to the committee. The Media Grants this year were being awarded to group(s) producing documentary film on 'Incomers' to Northern Ireland. The amount available in 2004-5 was £40,000.
There were three applications for funding which had been scored against the set criteria. The committee agreed that Westway Film Company had scored highest on all criteria, had secured other additional funding from NITFC and UTV and had agreed broadcasting slots. The other two applications though worthy required more development. The committee recommended that Westway be awarded the full £40,000 available from this year's budget. This recommendation would be put to the full Council for ratification. It was agreed that next year's Media Grant Scheme (when/if secured) would also be dedicated to documentary film dealing with issues of race and ethnicity.
Action
Council be requested to ratify a grant award of £40,000 to Westway Film Company.
6 Communications Strategy
The development of pilot material to illustrate CRC's key messages had been deferred to allow the development in November of the material for the One Small Step advertising campaign. This had now happened. It was suggested that rather than CRC now attracting the cost of commissioning new pilot material an attempt should be made to have sight of the advertising material collected earlier by OFMDFM in building its tender list of companies for an anti-sectarianism campaign.
The One Small Step Campaign material addressed the soft messages in community relations and pitched these at the general public. The need now was for CRC material to address the hard messages such as 'sectarianism kills'. Short snappy sentences and phrases were needed that could stand alone or be produced with images. External consultants and advertisers could offer a fresh view and be jargon free. Suggestions from students through open competitions might also be explored.
Action
Duncan Morrow to approach Government Minister to obtain access to existing body of advertising material on anti-sectarianism held by OFMDFM.
Ray Mullan to explore budget potential for commissioning pilot material.
7 Community Relations Week
Community Relations Week will take place from 7-13 March 2005. PR companies have been invited to tender to provide support for CR Week and an appointment will be made in December.
CRC will itself organise a number of key events with other events being organised by CRC-funded groups and other public sector bodies including District Councils. This year CR Week will be preceded by the One Small Step advertising campaign which will last 4 weeks and prepare the ground for CR Week. The campaign will ask people to take practical steps 'to live life without barriers' and Community Relations Week will be the natural climax to the campaign.
8 Dates of meetings in 2005
3 March 2005- 12.30 pm for 1 pm
2 June 2005- 12.30 pm for 1 pm
15 September 2005- 12.30 pm for 1 pm in L'Derry
1 December 2005- 12.30 pm for 1 pm.
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