Brighton, England-The Messenger is the Message

The Messenger is the Message

Michael Sheridan will speak at the Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, England, (July 2, 13:00-14:30) about his work to put Afghans and Haitians in charge of the storytelling about their community’s economic and social development issues.

Michael went to Afghanistan in 2009 to make a documentary on effective development from the perspective of Afghan villagers. He trained Afghan women and men in lived-reality documentary filmmaking and they produced ten short films that provide a unique view of Afghans’ daily efforts to address their challenging social and economic conditions. Community Supported Film completed a similar project with Haitians at the end of 2014. The films allow Haitians to report on their country’s social and economic development 5 years after the devastating earthquake.

Michael is a filmmaker and educator whose documentary films address issues of social and economic development and the tipping point between order and chaos.

Thursday, July 2, 13.00-14.30
Institute of Development Studies, Room 221, University of Sussex, Brighton

Tuesday, July 7, 12:00-13:00
The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR

Digital Video: Camera and Sound, 7 Online Sessions, Starts 9/3/25

Jul 16, 2025

This course covers the aesthetic and technical skills needed to construct scenes visually and aurally – applicable to all filmmaking genres.

Video Editing and Post-Production Course, 7 Online Sessions – Starts 10/22/25

Jul 16, 2025

Michael Sheridan is one of the best teachers one could hope to have. He has a genuine commitment to facilitating students’ ability to realize their vision, which is backed by a deep understanding of technology and technique. I had the pleasure of hiring Michael to teach over twenty years, and student reviews were always excellent.

Decolonise How? | What does a crisis look like? The ethics of humanitarian imagery

Jul 15, 2025

Our collective visual vocabulary of crisis is neither accidental nor neutral. It has been shaped by decades of coverage, often from a narrow, Western lens – a lens that has taught audiences what suffering is supposed to look like. That vocabulary now distorts our understanding of crises and undermines the dignity and agency of those living through them.