Polish Leodensians

The final year project for Digital Media BA is a chance to put all skills we have learned previously to practice by creating a product or a series of them which have a potential to produce impact for the target audience.

The project I am currently undertaking is one called Polish Leodensians, centred around the activities of the Polish community in Leeds. In co-operation with the Polish Catholic Centre in Chapeltown, an area just to the north of Leeds city centre, the idea of the project is to promote the Polish diaspora and its activities, creating a record and testament of them to be viewed for a wider audience.

The primary aim of this project is the preservation of Polish culture and traditions across Leeds and a strengthening of existing community fraternity. The aim is to be reached through a series of the following objectives:

1. Firstly, I am producing a series of 4–5 digital stories about the Polish diaspora's history, traditions, faith, leisurely activities and available facilities. Each story would last about five minutes, with subtitles in both English and Polish. With the combination of ethnographic research and interviews, it is intended that these artifacts will educate locals in Chapeltown and the wider urban area of Leeds about the Polish community.
2. Secondly, along with the above, an additional website would be created containing information about the activities of the diaspora, as well as for availability of these stories to all for free. There will also be contact information, and will be available in both English and Polish. This will allow not only the proliferation of the local community's work, but also act as inspiration to younger members of the community, educating them on what it means to be Polish.
3. Finally, as part of increasing wider awareness about the community, I am also creating a wide campaign, both online and in-person, that would promote the website and the digital stories series present. Furthermore, a premiere of the series at the Polish Catholic Centre is also proposed, with the goal of bridging technological gaps between those possessing technology and those who do not.

The project is currently under implementation, meaning that the scope of showcasing current designs is limited. However, a proposal document has been produced which outlines the project's intentions in greater detail.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates on the production of the project!