For those prevented by distance from engaging with our programs we took teams on the road to work with local communities and inspire regional storytelling through the moving image.
What is the Memory and Place project?
One of the centrepieces of ACMI in the Regions was the Memory and Place project. For over 9 years, with the assistance of various funding bodies we worked with communities to create a series of documentaries about towns across Victoria as part of the Memory and Place project. We then returned to those areas for premiere screenings in cinemas, pubs, football fields, lifesaving clubhouses, art galleries, town halls and pubs - wherever the local community gathers.
The Memory and Place (MAP) project was designed to allow diverse communities across Victoria to represent themselves with their own unique voices. It used oral history to celebrate community, memory and place and encouraged people to tell the stories that capture a sense of the uniqueness of their town.
The project aimed to encourage regional story-telling on-screen and to equip local participants with the knowledge, confidence and skills to practice – long into the future - the art and craft of the moving image. We adopted a community cultural development approach to our work in regional areas. Actively engaging local residents in the concept development and film production, we facilitated participation that helped people to document their histories and capture their own stories – to express and explore on-screen why they live and work and play in the towns they call home.