Dr Elspeth Vischer is a filmmaker and project coordinator based in Belfast who runs Vish Films, a small production company. Elspeth makes non-fiction, community-focused work that centres counter-hegemonic perspectives, and she is particularly engaged within queer and intersectional feminist frameworks.
Elspeth holds a creative-practice PhD from Queen's University where she graduated in December 2023. Elspeth has worked with the Nerve Centre and Northern Ireland Screen coordinating the Northern Ireland Now project since October 2023. As part of this project Elspeth has facilitated workshops and collected contemporary videos with over 28 community partners to date across the North of Ireland and contributed to a new collection of 150 videos and counting on the Digital Film Archive.
Topic summary
The Northern Ireland Now project has been taking a collaborative and community-led approach to contemporary collecting across Northern Ireland since 2023. Back for a second phase, with a link to the new Belfast Stories site and archive centre due to open in 2030, this innovative project has been partnering with groups across Belfast to gather new materials and share skills around heritage, film and archives. With a special focus on marginalised perspectives, the partners of phase two have been young people, LGBTQIA+ community groups, those from the disabled and learning disabled community, those from the migrant community, and older individuals. This visual showcase will be a screening of a selection of video materials gathered with Northern Ireland Now's latest fantastic community partners. Learnings will be shared from project coordinator, Elspeth Vischer on the ethical and political dimensions of Northern Ireland Now, and how a collaborative approach can democratise media within the Digital Film Archive in fascinating ways that involve learning for everyone involved.
