March 1, 2022 10.00 am This story is over 24 months old

Lincoln filmmaker fundraising to create documentary about arts prejudice

Miles will produce and co-direct a short documentary about inequalities in the creative industries
Miles Halley, 21, is hoping to combat prejudices with his new documentary, 'Enough', but he needs £500 first | Photo: Miles Halley

A Lincoln graduate is raising £500 to create a documentary called ‘Enough’ about the struggles of creative minds as they navigate their way into the arts industries.

Miles Halley, 21, a film production graduate from the University of Lincoln who now is now studying for a Masters in Management, is creating the documentary in collaboration with Leasha C, also 21, a student from Leeds Conservatoire.

Leasha is a recording artist, sound engineer and producer, and is starring in the film alongside her sister as well as creating the music for the eight-ten minutes documentary.

The fundraiser website has already raised a tremendous £111.

Filming on location at Lincoln, Leeds and York, Miles is producing the documentary in reaction to “inequalities” for creative people and “institutionalised racism” he has observed in the workplace. He hopes to air the documentary in summer of this year.

Leasha C, as she is professionally known, came up with the initial idea for the documentary | Photo: Leasha C

Miles said: “The creative industry is already pretty tough to get into to begin with, especially in the economic world we live in today. There are existing prejudices and it is hard to bring in any income as an artistic person.

“We want to encourage people from all creative backgrounds and make them feel empowered.

“We need as much exposure as we can get, to highlight creative people who might struggle and different people from all types of background, from different parts of the world with varying physical issues, and how prejudice can affect their focus on their art.”

Leasha C explained: “Anyone we feel is subjected to prejudice due to their race, nationality, sexuality, gender, creed, colour, neurological or cognitive function can be reached by our documentary, as well as people who are made to feel like they are an exception in their industry.

“These are the people we are trying to reach, encourage, and promote. These creatives do not need to be singled out or made to feel like they are ‘other’. We just want to offer a platform to promote the talent of individuals who might not have the voice or coverage otherwise.”

Hopefully, Miles says, his documentary will premiere at various film festivals having been the gaffer (positioning the lights and how to setup the fastest lighting setups for a shot) on a film called ‘October’, which has been shown at the London Movie Awards, the Indie Short Festival in Los Angeles and the Paris Film Awards, and can be watched here.

‘Enough’ will air this summer and hopes to attract attention from film festivals | Photo: Miles Halley