Light House Media Centre
Encyclopedia
Light House Media Centre, often simply referred to as Light House, is a cinema, gallery and media hub for Wolverhampton
and the surrounding area. Light House is located within the historic former Chubb Locks Factory
in the city centre. They describe themselves as:
Light House is a non-profit making organisation and so is largely funded and supported by both regional and national external media orientated sources. The main supporters of Light House are Arts Council West Midlands
, Wolverhampton City Council, UK Film Council
, Screen West Midlands
, Skillset
, Advantage West Midlands
, University of Wolverhampton
and Europa Cinemas Network. Light House has been supported to develop its media education activity as an Education Hub through Screen WM’s Investment Fund with funds from The National Lottery
through the UK Film Council
.
Today, Light House inhabits larger, partly-purpose-built accommodation, is an independent company and employs 10 full time staff and a small team of part time staff and volunteers. According to their website, they still run production courses, new exhibitions, films, educational activities, conferences and events. In addition, there are two major annual festivals and a number of activities that develop and support the growing creative industries in the city and surrounding area.
) and film education events. They also hire their screens out for private, educational, charity or fundraising events.
Light House also has a commercial production company which has been producing films since 1988. Their portfolio includes short films, documentaries and animated films. They also work with schools to produce films and have recently had a film shown at London Short Film Festival called ‘’Shadow Play’’ which was co-created with Redhill School, Stourbridge
.
Lock Works also acts as a third, smaller gallery largely used to house smaller or specialist photography exhibitions.
Flip is an animation festival that is primarily hosted by Light House. It has attracted a host of high profile supporters and contributors, including BAFTA; UK Film Council
; Toon Boom; Digital Arts Magazine; Channel 4
; West Midlands Animation Forum, BBC Big Screen
and Stop Motion Pro.
Deaffest is the UK’s only Deaf-led film and television festival, which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists from all over the world.
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and the surrounding area. Light House is located within the historic former Chubb Locks Factory
Chubb Locks
Chubb Locks is a brand name of the Mul-T-Lock subsidiary of the Assa Abloy Group, which manufactures high security locking systems for residential, secure confinement and commercial applications.-History:...
in the city centre. They describe themselves as:
-
- "a beacon for the creative industries; source of illumination on all aspects of media; guide and educator to all ages in pursuit of creative media and film knowledge; home to diverse array of film, animation and photography"
Light House is a non-profit making organisation and so is largely funded and supported by both regional and national external media orientated sources. The main supporters of Light House are Arts Council West Midlands
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
, Wolverhampton City Council, UK Film Council
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the...
, Screen West Midlands
Regional screen agencies
Following a major review of the film infrastructure in the United Kingdom during 2000, the UK Film Council set up nine Regional Screen Agencies, one in each regions of England, to deliver support for film-making, exhibition and related media activities....
, Skillset
Skillset
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council which supports skills and training for people and businesses to ensure the UK creative media industries competitive and productive.-History:It was founded 1992 and is jointly funded by industry and government...
, Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands
-Advantage West Midlands – Regional Development Agency:Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a...
, University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
and Europa Cinemas Network. Light House has been supported to develop its media education activity as an Education Hub through Screen WM’s Investment Fund with funds from The National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
through the UK Film Council
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the...
.
History
The formal opening of Light House took place on 16 March 1987 by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Bishan Dass, although activities had already taken place since the August of 1986, when it was officially founded. Light House was then housed in the same building as Wolverhampton’s Central Art Gallery, there were only three members of staff and it was a joint project of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Polytechnic (now the University of Wolverhampton). The programme guide for that period included, amongst other activities, courses in video production, seasons of science fiction films, an exhibition on India and Independence, marking the 40th anniversary of India’s freedom from British rule and a conference about Black filmmaking.Today, Light House inhabits larger, partly-purpose-built accommodation, is an independent company and employs 10 full time staff and a small team of part time staff and volunteers. According to their website, they still run production courses, new exhibitions, films, educational activities, conferences and events. In addition, there are two major annual festivals and a number of activities that develop and support the growing creative industries in the city and surrounding area.
Cinema
Light House houses two screens with a programme of contemporary and retrospective releases, archive films and new independent shorts and features. They also show a number of mainstream feature films, although far fewer, and for much shorter runs than major cinemas. They also host a range of film festivals (the most notable of which is Flip Animation FestivalFlip Animation Festival
FLIP, is an animation festival primarily hosted by the Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton, UK. It is one of two festivals hosted by Light House, the other of which is Deaffest. Official literature for the festival says that FLIP occurs annually at the beginning of November and attracts...
) and film education events. They also hire their screens out for private, educational, charity or fundraising events.
Gallery
Light House has two main galleries: the main gallery is primarily dedicated to showing and supporting critically engaged documentary photography whereas the balcony gallery tends to showcase work from emerging photographers.Media Hub
Because of the courses and workshops they offer, Light House refers to itself as a ‘media hub’ for Wolverhampton and the West Midlands area. These courses and workshops cover subjects such as video production, animation and other forms of multimedia. They also pass on media knowledge through practical workshops, tailored advice, accredited training and bespoke specialist courses, all of which are open to professionals, students or interested members of the public.Light House also has a commercial production company which has been producing films since 1988. Their portfolio includes short films, documentaries and animated films. They also work with schools to produce films and have recently had a film shown at London Short Film Festival called ‘’Shadow Play’’ which was co-created with Redhill School, Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
.
Lock Works
Lock Works café bar is aimed as “a family friendly environment away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre”. It also holds small informal exhibitions and has cases available for artists to display work in.Lock Works also acts as a third, smaller gallery largely used to house smaller or specialist photography exhibitions.
Flip Animation Festival
- ‘’For more details on this topic, see Flip Animation FestivalFlip Animation FestivalFLIP, is an animation festival primarily hosted by the Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton, UK. It is one of two festivals hosted by Light House, the other of which is Deaffest. Official literature for the festival says that FLIP occurs annually at the beginning of November and attracts...
’’
Flip is an animation festival that is primarily hosted by Light House. It has attracted a host of high profile supporters and contributors, including BAFTA; UK Film Council
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the...
; Toon Boom; Digital Arts Magazine; Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
; West Midlands Animation Forum, BBC Big Screen
BBC Big Screen
The Big Screens are a project involving the BBC, LOCOG , and local councils. 25m LED screens with sound systems are situated in prominent locations in city centres...
and Stop Motion Pro.
Deaffest
- ‘’For more details on this topic, see DeaffestDeaffestDeaffest, is the UK’s only Deaf-led film and television festival, which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists from all over the world. It is hosted by Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton...
’’
Deaffest is the UK’s only Deaf-led film and television festival, which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists from all over the world.