Resource Productions celebrates 25 years with 'eclectic' Slough mela this weekend

Slough-based social enterprise Resource Productions will host a ‘Moving Image Mela’ this weekend to celebrate its 25th birthday.

The festival – ‘mela’ derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘a gathering’ – will bring together alumni, industry professionals with performers and the local community at The Curve.

Resource Productions was founded in 1999 with the mission to enable social change through art and film, whilst diversifying the creative industries.

For 25 years, the organisation has built ‘meaningful partnerships’ with industry leaders, such as Lucasfilm, Amazon and the British Film Institute, delivering industry skills training.

The Moving Image Mela event on Saturday, December 7 will showcase eclectic moving image projects, produced and created by local artists and feature live performances.

Founder of Resource Productions Dominique Unsworth MBE said: “We've been working to bridge the equity gap in the arts for the last 25 years and in that time we have met some extremely driven and talented people from under-represented backgrounds.

“Looking at the incredible careers and achievements of our alumni, I can’t help but feel full of joy in all the work they have created. Seeing people passionately pursuing their life’s purpose is what’s gotten me out of bed every morning these last 25 years!”

Resource Productions has contributed to Berkshire’s reputation as a ‘thriving cultural hotspot’ for industry talent by working with partners to deliver inclusive screen sector training activities.

This includes their co-development of the BFI Film Academy which has directly trained more than 300 young people to date.

In 2024 alone Resource Productions supported more than 12,800 under-represented artists and crew.

“There is still more work for us to do,” said Dominique.

“Funding for grassroots projects in areas like Slough is not easy to come by and paired with the number of programmes that have stopped due to being unable to meet the financial costs; it’s a challenging time.

“It’s actually tougher now for women, the working class, and the global majority to break into the industry.

“That’s why we are so grateful to our partners like the British Film Institute and Arts Council England who have been investing in nurturing skills and talents for the last decade with us.

“By its very nature, art is diverse and we’ve seen through our work that there is a special creative magic that happens when different worlds collide.

“Diversity in the arts is integral for exciting and satisfying productions that add something to society.

“I’m really looking forward to celebrating with all our alumni and those who have worked with us over the last 25 years!”

Tickets for The Moving Image Mela event are available for £10 and are open to everyone.

The event will run from 4pm until 7pm on Saturday (December 7) and tickets can be booked here tinyurl.com/3zte52fh