Spotlight: Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival 2026

On 20th – 22nd March, the 21st Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival will take place. As The Maltings’ undergoes redevelopment, screenings will take place in the Maltings’ Cinema at the Barracks – a smaller venue which will enable the Festival to be a more intimate, discursive and accessible experience.

The Burr of Berwick, BFMAF’s community film library and exhibition series is open throughout the year on Saturdays from 12 – 4pm. The Burr offers a shared space for screenings, discussions, and creativity and also hosts an artist residency, The Queer Care Caravan, which explores resilient LGBTQIA+ community-led care across a Film Library exhibition, workshops and screenings.

The project explores how care and knowledge are shared – past and present – to support LGBTQIA+ people’s rights and wellbeing. The Film Library features a curated selection of video works and ephemera exploring queer care, including materials from Edinburgh Action for Trans Health and AIDS activism. Free monthly events offer the opportunity to make friends and share films, walks, conversations and meals.

We went along to the Screen Time Workshop at The Burr on Bridge Street to find out how BFMAF is working with young people in Berwick.

The Berwick Film and Media Arts (BFMAF) Screen Time Workshop took place on Saturday 14th March at The Burr of Berwick, and was facilitated by LGBTQIA+ artists Cannach MacBride, Conal McStravick, and Mikiki who have curated queer and trans care media and community care resources with cooperation from from Lothian Health Services Archive, Edinburgh, Tyne and Wear Archives and UK trans mutual aid groups and transnational LGBTQIA support groups, past and present.

The workshop was aimed at LGBTQIA+ & allies aged between 16 and 24, to create film and share discussions on screen time and community.

The Screen Time Workshop invited LGBTQIA+ & allies aged between 16 – 24, to discuss experiences of community both physically and digitally, using film making equipment as a form of creative expression. The session started with discussions in The Burr and then moved to a local hall where there was more space to set up the equipment to create the films.

The session was very warm and relaxed – Conal McStravick,  Cannach MacBride and Mikiki have worked together before and were able to create a welcoming space for young people to build relationships and work together.  The day started gently with introductions to the artists and The Burr, then general discussions on interests, films and video games.

The young people who participated had a mix of experience with film making, some were comfortable with photography, some were used to film making equipment and others had no experience at all. We moved to a hall to work with the equipment and one participant reluctantly held the camera, saying they felt as though they were ‘holding a newborn baby’ and didn’t want to drop it.  The artists put participants at ease throughout, showing them ways of holding equipment comfortably and talking through the process of ‘sparking’ or switching on film lighting to ensure no one was accidentally dazzled.

There was no pressure on the day – if anyone didn’t want to be filmed they could opt out at any point. The whole day was about community – it was more about working together creatively, making connections and sharing experiences, than having a polished film at the end of the process.

Discussions were held over pizza, on the recent proposed social media ban, and the participants’ experience of how online communities can provide a safe space for those feeling ‘othered’. Young people talked about the lack of provision for young LGBTQIA+ people in Berwick, and found that it can be an isolating experience to rely solely on physical interactions and community. Some people talked about interacting with their friends in other parts of the world, through social media sites, and the way they use film to interact with others, either filming themselves gaming or discussing particular films which resonate with them with their online community.

BFMAF provided green screen technology, lighting, cameras, and a range of props, including wigs, costumes, and art materials for those who wanted to create their own props.  Conal, Cannach and Mikiki encouraged creative expression, dressing themselves in costume and encouraging the young people to take part, and after some initial hesitancy, even the most reluctant participants were throwing themselves into the act of creating the film, complete with smoke machine, curated playlist and a prop skeleton dancing along on the green screen.

By the end of the event, I’m sure that the young people had learnt about creative expression and film making. However, I couldn’t help but think how the interactions through the day might have made them feel. Professional artists from different parts of the world were telling them that their comfort is important, giving them time, sharing skills and listening intently to their views on community – some things that should be routine, can feel very rare for young people today. I’d like to think that those young people left the workshop that day feeling seen, feeling heard, and feeling valued.

Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival is taking place from Friday 20th March to Sunday 22nd March. Tickets are limited due to the size of the screenings, but can be bought using the link below: