What’s a community without contact? What’s a neighbourhood without neighbours? Who are we without each other?

We’re excited to announce that Paradise Works have teamed up with Manchester International Festival to create a collective portrait of East Salford in the right-here, right-now of the coronavirus pandemic – and we need your help to make it.

For this very special Festival in My Neighbourhood, PW member Danielle Swindells has been commissioned by MIF to edit your videos into a truly collaborative film. Premiering towards the end of the year the film will paint a unique portrait of East Salford and the people who live within it – separated by lockdown but reunited by film into one community.

How you can help

You don’t need a professional camera to make your video: just use a mobile phone or the webcam on your computer. You could send us a video you’ve previously made and/or posted on social media – and you can also submit photos, images or even pieces of writing for inclusion.

You can talk about whatever you want on camera – the main thing is that we want to hear about who you are and how you’ve been living during lockdown. No subject is off limits – but to get you started with some ideas, you could tell us about…

Your day-to-day life
What’s happening on your street
A journey you’re making on a particular day (you could even take us on it with you!)
What brings you joy
How you’re trying to stay positive
Whether you’ve started doing anything new or different during lockdown (for example, a new hobby)
How you’re keeping in touch with people you can’t see in person (you could even film one of your conversations)
What do you hope for in the future

Watch the trailer for Capturing Summer 2020 featuring submissions by Paradise Works artists.

We’d love to see your face, but you can also talk from behind the camera if you prefer – or, alternatively, you can send in a video that doesn’t feature any speech at all. The only rule is that there are no rules. For more information visit the MIF website.

SUBMIT YOUR CONTENT HERE, by Monday 31 August.