New Opportunity to Diversify Scottish Media

Bella Caledonia aims to give voice to the unheard and to amplify the excluded and the marginalised. We aim to create a media that looks like our society and challenges cultural norms and orthodoxy, to do this we are launching a fully-funded programme called Many Voices.

It offers a series of positions as Commissioning Editor to work as part of the Bella team over a four-month period.

In the first phase we have a space to commission six people to work on their own projects. Each will develop a separate commission to explore a theme. Each person will be funded to carry out their work and have a commissioning budget to also facilitate others from within their emerging networks.

This might be to work on writing a book, researching a subject, working with a particular community of people, or developing a focused theme over a period of time.

Bella Caledonia Editor Mike Small has said:
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“It’s time to create far greater diversity in Scottish media. This is not must about more women, people of colour and minority voices in editorial spaces – but breaking the log-jam of the same people being given space and profile.”
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Talat Yaqoob has said:
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“Having a diverse range of voices in media which challenge the status quo of inequality is critical for a fairer Scotland. We need media across the board to take this seriously, and I hope this project is an opportunity to highlight why it matters and how things can be done differently.”
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Andrés N Ordorica, from the Scottish BAME Writers Network has said:
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“Our remit has always been to advocate for Black and POC writers in Scotland, as such SBWN is excited to work with Bella Caledonia to ensure the media landscape reflects and represents all voices living and working in Scotland. We look forward to the many new and established journalistic voices that will be uplifted by this venture.”

This project will give writers and artists the opportunities for a sustained practice of work and experience instead of one-off articles/pieces.  Commissioned Editors will be supported by Bella in terms of project management and personal support. We will create a support network around Many Voices with opportunities to share insights and learning within the group. We are working with an advisory board  to guide our work.

This project will give writers and artists the opportunities for a sustained practice of work and experience instead of one-off articles/pieces. In the first phase we are offering six separate commissions to take part in the project. These are available to individuals who will receive an all-inclusive fee to carry out the work and a commissioning budget to draw on.

Commissioned Editors will be supported by Bella in terms of project management and personal support. We will create a support network around Many Voices with opportunities to share insights and learning within the group.

We are working with the following networks and projects to guide our work: Unbias the News [1], Gender Media Scotland [2], Pass the Mic Scotland [3], and the Scottish BAE Writers Network [4].

Applications for the first round of are due by 30 August.

To apply contact us for more details at [email protected]

Bella Caledonia is committed to promoting diverse, equal and inclusive spaces and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, all ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, religions and beliefs. We particularly encourage people from underrepresented communities to apply, including but not limited to, people from BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic), LGBT+, &/or disabled communities, women, working class &/or non-binary people.

 

[1] https://unbiasthenews.org/

[2] https://www.genderequalmedia.scot/

[3] https://passthemicscotland.wordpress.com/

[4] https://scottishbamewritersnetwork.org/

 

 

Comments (4)

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  1. Craig P says:

    Hi Mike. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate what you do with Bella.

    I may have a go occasionally at articles (particularly in regard to the proofreading!) but this is a small thing, compared to the amount and variety of content you publish here.

    So, because we maybe don’t say this kind of thing enough, many thanks, and keep on keeping on!

    1. Daniel Raphael says:

      Hear, hear!

  2. Clare Galloway says:

    This is amazing, Mike and Bella Caledonia…

    I’m one of the many Scots who live abroad in order to live fully and freely without the weight of our oppressed culture, uniqueness and vitality holding us still: looking very much forward to making an application to this great project, as I’ve been feeling into some ideas about the reawakening of the sleeping spirit and indigenous consciousness of Scotland…

    It has been a source of huge encouragement to my work to have had my voice published here – as a very-far-outside-of-the-box artist and thinker. It gives me faith in humanity that such a platform exists to give space to a fuller spectrum of our individual and collective experience – it’s one of the incredible assets that we have as a culture and country.

    Much gratitude to everyone working on this – can’t wait to see what is created!

  3. Well wishing companion says:

    Would love to have my voice heard.

    I feel my faith is hyjacked. May faith is a beautiful faith which teaches to respect all other faiths, I learnt in detail about true Christianity and our Judaic cousins. All faiths are inter related yet this is never protrayed.
    I learnt about beauty of creation of man and his sustainable inhabitat, the universe and our role and responsibility towards it.
    I learnt about the rights of others and how this creates an elite society. Ridding of greed, jealousy and injustice.
    I Learnt about equality, justice and the importance of how giving outweighs the joys and benefits unjustly taking.
    I learnt people know nothing about my faith except what they wish to hear.
    They don’t know their own faith. And don’t open THEIR own books of faith cos they’re afraid to face the don’ts.
    They learn the encyclopedia of the media reports, but never the true source with an unbias mind. Cos if I pick up the Torah, Bible or the Qur’an, I find much the same warnings and good news. Because the original source is the same.
    I would challenge anyone to open all 3 books and find the overall, common message is the same, of kindness love compassion tolerance and giving rights to all. Only this would create a fair just and harmonious society.
    Conclusion: I find people judge, condemn, blame and point figures at others with little or no knowledge. Do your homework in an unbias way before you criticise others.

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