Realising a dream: voluntary projects as a stepping stone to future success

Mike shaking hands with a politician and youth participants on the Youth4Politics project in Finland

Mike Leigh Cooper, who joined KhaoZ Media in January 2008 to work with our project manager, Dave Fleming, to help develop the group and work on European projects, has been gaining experience in just that at every given opportunity. In this blog, we find out whether it has been worth it and whether it has got him anywhere.

The projects Mike has worked on with KhaoZ Media have involved dozens of countries from across Europe and as volunteers, he, along with other volunteers, has been lucky enough to work on projects in the following places:

• Poland
• Romania
• Germany
• Jordan
• Finland

In autumn 2010, Mike, who also as a freelance film producer, was offered the chance to deliver some training on a project which took place at the Community Media Association in Sheffield.

Following the success of the Youth4Inclusion project which involved the participants engaging with issues such as youth homelessness, he was offered the opportunity to work as a Media Trainer again on the Youth4Politics project in Helsinki.

The projects Mike has worked on have been funded by the EU’s ‘Youth in Action‘ schemes and have involved the creation of YouTube pages for partner organisations such as ASDA RY, photo slideshows and interviews with organisers as well as the products for the projects themselves.

Mike in Finland

“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to be working in Europe now. It’s definitely a challenge – but it’s something I said to myself I would do when I studied abroad at University.

Now I’m doing it. You can’t get better than that?”

We interviewed Mike about his work with KhaoZ Media and on freelance projects:

KM] How did you get involved and what did you do at first?

MLC] In 2007, I had been freelancing on various projects for two years while I was at University; I think in terms of professional film and TV jobs, those times were the best for me because I worked on commercials with companies in my home city of Manchester quite a lot.

I also made a few music videos such as “Diagonal Man” by AKP and “Deadbolt” by RSJ on a project which eventually evolved into a company my good mates now run called Box Bot.

While I was freelancing, I did some voluntary training in youth work with a part of York Council called Network 2. This led to me doing some work as a care worker, and while all this was happening, I was volunteering on a few local projects – one of them being the Melbourne Film Makers at Accessible Arts and Media.

While I was working there, I got an e-mail from the project leader, Simon Collins, who said he knew this bloke called Dave that was looking for someone to help him work on a project for 8 months which might involve stuff in Europe and he thought I would be good for it.

So I asked loads of people I knew and quickly found out everyone had heard of or worked with this Dave guy, so I applied for the position of a voluntary youth project assistant and after a few interviews, I got the job.

That’s a bit of a long answer isn’t it? I’ll keep it short now.

KM] Why are you still hanging around?

MLC] That’s a good question. I don’t know. Probably because I feel that there’s a lot of potential in the KhaoZ Media project, we have some serious kit and I have developed some really good friendships here. I think also, deep down, I would love to see the project grow wings and take flight as an independent business as it’s currently still a council project.

This would ideally involve us earning loads of money on commercial projects and putting lots of it back into the voluntary aspect of things, but hey – these things take time right?

KM] Have you had any high or low points of volunteering with KhaoZ Media?

MLC] Oh yes! Do you have a few hours?

I think the biggest high point would be having access to the kit which has actually enabled me to carry on in this field for a few years without my own kit – although I’ve bought all my own stuff now. I suppose the best single moment would be going to Petra because it’s one of the wonders of the world – and it didn’t cost me more than my insurance and entry fee. How cool is that?

My lowest point would be probably one of my screening which didn’t work…I won’t say which but it was quite big, and there were quite a few important people there and the DVD skipped. I won’t be doing that again, although some other filmy types have had issues at screenings – and I mean seriously good guys too so I know I’m not alone.

The funniest thing would probably be when I was somewhere in Europe, I think Romania, and after we had been flying all day we got back to the hotel, my room had a window open and this was making the main door to the room rattle. So I convinced myself someone was trying to get in the room I was in so I was texting the person in charge. I think that was funny, and needless to say there wasn’t anyone outside and I did eventually get to sleep.

There’s other things but I think they’re probably left unsaid. Shame.

KM] Why has it taken three years to get freelance work?

MLC] It’s not taken three years in the sense that this is the first paid job I’ve had as a freelancer – otherwise I would have been in a tricky situation but this is the first time I have been asked to do paid work on the European projects.

This is great, because it’s been one of my personal goals for a few years (about 6) to work abroad on exciting projects and travel. The whole reason I decided to go freelance was because I wanted flexibility, and I have that now. There are down sides as well, but that’s for another time!

KM] So, what else are you working on?

MLC] If I told you I would have to kill you. Maybe I can tell you a bit…

I have many fingers in pies – but I have one project which should be really good for interactive media and tours. But I don’t want to say too much. It’s new with some cool people.

As per usual I’m still working on music videos with BoxBot, I’m filming some cool events and I’ve been working with the most best theatre company on the planet, in my opinion, which is called Mind the Gap, and they’re based in Bradford.

Oh, and I’ve been selected as the UK Relay Report which is going to take me to Lithuania to report on some NGO’s there. I’m one of 26-ish taking part and I’m the only UK reporter. Not bad, eh?

To find out more about Mike and his work, visit his website at www.mikeleighcooper.com

Or, you can click here to watch a video from his recent Youth4Politcs project.

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