Over the last 10 years, the media landscape has changed dramatically. Social media apps and filmmaking tools have become a fundamental part of our digital lives. Young people, in particular, learn, socialise, explore their identities and engage with the world using their screens. Media literacy is now a basic literacy. In response to these developments, Film Crew Club workshops offer children, adolescents and adults a chance to dive deeper into the issues that matter most to them: we teach parents how to mentor their children as they navigate social media platforms and we provide young people with strategies to create content responsibly and safely in fun and engaging ways.

Our workshops are offered as part of after-school clubs and media literacy programmes in Amsterdam based schools. They are also offered as independent workshops throughout the year for kids, teens and adults at other locations.

Friends Like Me is a media project that has grown out of my experiences as a teacher. This project, currently in the form of a blog, features interviews I have filmed over the last five years with children and adolescents who share their experiences of what it is like to grow up using social media.

Go to Friends Like Me project blog

Manuela Maiguashca is a British filmmaker, activist and teacher who lives and works in the Netherlands. She produces and directs documentary media projects that deal with human rights, social inclusion and child welfare. She works with international NGOs as an activist, director and producer. Her film work has been broadcast and screened internationally and, more importantly, used in a wide range of educational and advocacy programmes. Ms. Maiguashca has taught media for over 15 years to adults and children in a wide range of schools and digital literacy programmes. She was a visiting lecturer at The London Film Academy for 15 years and is currently developing Film Crew Club into a media mentoring programmes for children, teenagers and parents. Workshops are offered in Amsterdam based schools as well as at other locations in both English and Dutch. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge with young people as well as learning from them.