The Film Education Consortium was founded, in response to a franchise offered by Screen East, as a partnership between the following organisations: Screen East, University of Hertfordshire, FDMX (Film and Digital Media Exchange), Positive Strides, Hertfordshire County Council and St. John Lawes School.

The consortium was set up to:

- Encourage the development of new audiences; encourage young people, students, and different age groups from the wider community to see and enjoy a greater diversity and number of films and pursue an interest in film education linked to cinema screenings, production work and other activities.

- Foster regional partnerships between cultural and mainstream cinema exhibition, informal and formal education providers and regional partners to maximise the outreach and impact of Film Consortium activities.

- Improve access for young people in Hertfordshire to see high quality, diverse films and participate in moving image education activities.

- Support the professional development of education providers and assist them with educational programmes to enhance an understanding of film culture.

- Contribute to literacy and visual literacy development, promote film as an important medium for education providers to foster creative, practical, analytical and language skills, and to increase respect and awareness of other cultural identities.

- Raise the profile of Hertfordshire as a core region of the audiovisual industry and promote awareness of the rich history of film production in the region.

- Consult with Screen East, Arts Council England: East, UK Film Council, the British Film Institute and other appropriate bodies to assist in the delivery of a regional film education strategy.

The Consortium is supported by the UK Film Council (through Screen East) and Arts Council England: East. It hopes to develop links with a number of related arts organisations and exhibition venues across Hertfordshire, including the Weston Auditorium at the University of Hertfordshire; the Broadway Cinema, Letchworth; Arts Awards; FDMX and UH Galleries amongst others.

The Consortium hopes to develop a number of film education events and activities that include:

- Screenings for schools and colleges with workshops linked to the National Curriculum and examination specifications.
- Digital video production and animation courses for all ages.
- Archive screenings in local regional venues.
- Evening and Saturday film courses
- Scriptwriting workshops
- In-service training for teachers
- Introduced archive and educational screenings with industry professionals and film academics.
- Advisory support for arts awards scholars.

These events will be developed by Darren Elliot,Film Education Co-ordinator. Darren is based at the University of Hertfordshire, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, AL10 9EB. He may be contacted by email: d.elliott@herts.ac.uk

Details of forthcoming events will published in the consortium's education newsletter, UH Arts Programme of Events and on the FDMX website.