Women And new Media Project - WAM! By Natalie Bell

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Are you a woman that wants to get to grips with a computer, or have a go with a digital camera but find the prospect of new technology or getting involved in learning nerve-wracking? Think again. Until recently I was the same. But in my paper one night something stood out and hit me. It was an article for WAM! (The Women and New Media Project) based at Hull Time Based Arts, a women-only project offering free courses in Digital Photography and Imaging, so I rang up and enrolled.

The project offers media based courses at times convenient to all. They fit around commitments, e.g. evening classes for workers, classes in women's centres with crèches, information on after school and summer school clubs, childminders paid for or children can come along too.

Sessions are relaxed and informal; small groups provide an accessible learning environment where you set the pace and direct the course by what you struggle with, what you like, and what you enrolled to learn. The project was set up to encourage women from all walks of life to take on the challenge of New Media. In the summer of 2001, Hull Time Based Arts joined forces with Women's Centres across the city to set up an alternative service to help women in the fight against male dominated media and computer courses which can be intimidating for women.

The mission was to help women break into this male led profession, but also help them express themselves and explore their identities, develop confidence through mixing with new people, do something for themselves and move away from their normal routine, or more simply just to have fun. Learner led courses are run by women. The WAM! team, are Adele - Project Coordinator, and Claire and Norman - Project Workers. The funding for these courses is provided through SRB6, Global Grants and the Learning Skills Council, which funded WAM!'s work with over 200 women last year.

The sessions offered begin with the basics so anyone can start. If you have a computer /digital camera and don't know how to use it, bring it along and the WAM! team will show you how. WAM! has its own equipment which all women are welcome to use as part of the project. If you want to make greeting cards on the computer, you can learn how, if you want to know how to scan a photo and enlarge it, or take your ex boyfriends out of your favourite holiday photo - no problem! Even if you want a nationally recognised qualification then this is for you. WAM! offers OCN (Open College Network) certificates in Digital Photography and Imaging and Digital Video; no test or coursework, just a whole lot of fun.

The small groups mean that everyone gets more one-to-one time with the tutor so no-one feels stranded or left behind, the world of new media doesn't seem quite so scary with a handful of other women in the same position as you.

Continued next page,

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