Consultation paper on the Future of Magic Lantern UK, July 2009

1. Magic Lantern UK – Plans for the Future
Where are we now?
and
Where do we go from here?
It is time to reflect.
We currently operate two different models: running clubs with paid-up membership
using local cinemas outside school hours (the Neuchatel model) and providing film
education and the foundations of media literacy in primary schools in school-time, at
the school or in local cinemas (the Merseyside model).
In Sussex we use the classical Neuchatel model. After four years of hard work and
three successful seasons we have on record as paid up, pro-bono or bulk subscription
members and visitors on ‘tasters’, the following:
Location No of Children No of Families
Brighton and Hove 125 87
Lewes 41 30
Shoreham 26 23
Sussex 192 140
Membership dues currently contribute only 15% of our income; the balance comes
from local, regional and national agencies supporting education, child welfare and
cultural development. The contribution from membership is too low – ideally it
should be at least 20-25%.
To be sustainable our membership in Sussex must double. We see no prospect of
achieving this with our present voluntary manpower, so either we find additional
volunteers - or secure sufficient funds to employ paid staff - or adopt a different
model.
On Merseyside we have just started a special Magic Lantern programme for the
Southern Co-operative (a group of 17 primary schools near Liverpool) providing 9
Magic Lantern shows and 2 creativity workshops built around our shows (as already
done in Brighton and Hove). This programme is fully funded by Central Government.
In Yorkshire we are in discussion with interested parties in Leeds and Sheffield to set
up Magic Lantern programmes on the Merseyside model or some variant of it. We do
not yet know how these programmes might be funded.
Our Problems
Recruitment: Children in families attracted to Magic Lantern, particularly in the
South-East, lead busy lives, especially on Saturdays – there is sport, music, dance,
all manner of worthwhile activity to compete with our Saturday club. Sunday
mornings can also be devoted to matters other than film education. This impedes
recruitment, particularly on the Neuchatel model where we would like children to be
signed up at the start of the season for the whole season but many parents are

2. unwilling to make the commitment, preferring instead to come for ‘tasters’ if and
when convenient.
Volunteers to look after children: The remarks about recruiting children apply also
to recruiting volunteers to look after them – weekends are busy times. There is also
Child Protection legislation which gets tighter year by year. To run the Neuchatel
model we need registered volunteers in the ratio of 1 to 7 and the volunteers must now
not only be CRB checked but also in possession of a Child Protection Certificate.
These considerations impede recruitment and impose additional burdens on managing
the Neuchatel model in the UK.
Cultivation of Schools: The Neuchatel model is based on close involvement with
local schools – at the start of term schools distribute the Magic Lantern leaflets,
children take them home, parents sign them up. Teachers in Sussex suffer from
activity-overload: they are very difficult to reach and, although generally sympathetic,
hard to persuade to put notices into the school newsletter and hand out leaflets and
when they do, it seems less effective than in Switzerland, home of self-discipline.
Schools can be cultivated but it takes more time than we could, or were willing, to
make available.
Administration: Running Magic Lantern in the UK involves several areas of activity:
fund raising, promotion, public relations, membership, finance, venues & equipment,
actors and direction, programming, film booking, translation, printing, distribution,
volunteer relations and event management. Programming is undertaken by Neuchatel
and activities shown in italics are now performed by specific very able volunteers.
Some other activities have become smoothly running routines: The Printhouse look
after our printing needs, we have good working relations with venues and event
management is a problem only at the start of the season when we handle the bulk of
subscriptions. It still leaves more work than time or energy allow (as well as some
unresolved issues such as the need to provide 35 mm film for the Odeon, which is
both more difficult and costly than obtaining a licence to show a DVD).
Lewes: A thriving little Magic Lantern club has emerged in Lewes with the help of
All Saints, the Lewes Film Club and a couple of enthusiastic volunteers. The
volunteers have now decided to set up their own children’s film club on a different
model, choosing their own programme and presenting it in their own fashion.
Shoreham: The Magic Lantern club at The Ropetackle Arts Centre is too small to be
viable and the lovely volunteers who run the Centre have been too preoccupied with
various major problems at the Centre to find time and energy for our development.
Where do we go from here?
We are committed to the programme on Merseyside, which is easy to run from
Brighton – translations are already done, there is no need for recruitment, volunteers,
venue, equipment, distribution or event management and Mark is happy to provide
artistic direction.

3. We are pursuing opportunities to set up similar projects in Leeds and Sheffield. These
are unlikely to come to fruition before December, so the Yorkshire programmes, if
they come about, will run from January to June.
We have set up a web-site for the Magic Lantern UK and hope to develop it into an
effective and low cost means for public relations, promotion and communication with
parents and volunteers.
In Sussex, there are two possibilities: find someone (volunteer or expecting eventual
remuneration) or a team of volunteers to take over a large part of the work described
under ‘administration’ – or adopt the Merseyside or Yorkshire models.
We think the latter course is more likely (though we keep an open mind regarding the
possibility of volunteers taking over administration). In any case, if there is a Magic
Lantern in Sussex, it will run from January 2010 to the following June.
We have applied for a little money to pay the costs of volunteers to help develop the
Merseyside or Yorkshire models in Sussex: call on headmasters to set up in-school
shows providing film education and media literacy and creative inspiration in
workshops, during school time in the schools. Budget alternatives are under
preparation for presentation to headmasters. We will try to recruit volunteers to
undertake this task by contacting all our friends (a former volunteer in Lewes now
setting up a club has offered to do this for the Magic Lantern in Lewes).
These are our thoughts on the matter.
Do let us know if you have any suggestions or comments.