- - - - - - - - - -
Ethos


Lighthouse exists to support the creative development and professional practice of filmmakers, screenwriters, digital artists and animators. At the same time we aim to develop an audience for their work by providing participatory opportunities for all to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of contemporary moving image and digital artistic practice.

Moving image media and digital technologies have revolutionised the way we see and experience the world, and have become embedded in our everyday lives to the extent that most people have, to a greater or lesser degree, an intuitive understanding of their grammar in both narrative and non-narrative contexts. We believe that these media are exceptionally powerful tools which storytellers and artists can use to challenge pre-conceptions and to communicate narratives and ideas to a broad spectrum of people.

Lighthouse’s role is as a facilitator. In everything we do, we strive for excellence, aiming to support the development and production of work of artistic significance. We believe that the most effective way to nurture new and emerging talent is by supporting artists and filmmakers through the development of their projects, whether it is a digital installation piece, a film or a screenplay. We do this by providing access to established practitioners who can guide them through the development and production process, share their knowledge and experience and so educate and inspire the next generation of artists and filmmakers in their endeavour to develop their skills, their thinking and their portfolios of work.

At the same time, we aim to promote innovation and experimentation by bringing together practitioners from different creative backgrounds and disciplines, encouraging cross-fertilisation of ideas and providing platforms for diverse voices to engage in critical debate. In doing so we will provide opportunities for practitioners to obtain peer feedback as to what they are and are not succeeding in communicating through their work. They can then utilise this to help clarify what it is they wish to communicate, what that means, and why both their ideas, and the way those ideas are communicated, might be both engaging and of value. Of paramount importance is that consideration of these issues is in a supportive and professional environment designed to help articulate reactions and explore strategies for further development of the work.

In our ambition to create new audiences for digital and moving image work, we aim to provide innovative and challenging education and outreach projects, enabling people from all sections of the community to participate in and engage with technology-driven art forms. We believe in the value of empowering individuals and communities to engage with film and digital art as producers, not just consumers, and in the importance of the processes as well as the outcomes.

- - - - - - - - - -