This piece of work was a development from my second year installation titled ‘The Media’ in 2015.  I wanted to move forward from my first piece which mainly focused on the ‘unseen’ tactics within the world of written media, I was shining a light on how peoples words can be twisted to take them completely out of context.  The point was very much to make people think, to question and to critique.  It is so easy for us to take the news as fact, however in many ways this could be viewed as a lazy option which needs to be opposed.  The politics of the media is something that was still grabbing me and was something I wanted to continue with and build on within my work.

This interest came from the first year of my studies at Goldsmiths, I felt like an outsider looking in, as if I didn't have the ability, qualifications, or understanding of social and cultural issues to belong in this new environment.  When we started to discuss the media my mind exploded, I was really angry at how subjective it could be and that this was allowed to happen.  I was also angry with myself, it had took me coming to university for this to really hit home.  This soon turned to concern, ‘should this enlightenment be saved for the select few that go to university?’ It really worried me that the ‘majority’ are not getting this information.  This is why I wanted to highlight this and get the message out there in an easily relatable way, I was possibly also doing it as therapy for myself too, so I felt more at ease with who I am and where I come from.

This directly coincides with my choice of topic for this particular piece, Britain First.  Firstly because I was annoyed at their use of film to make themselves look like a professional and credible outfit. And secondly because I realised that I am probably their target market.  As a white working/middle class man, I grew up in a small non-multicultural town, back home I wouldn't have many job options, and my town which is predominantly white older generations is getting more diverse!  I needed to react to this and I wanted to do it on their level.  This is why I chose to make a film that, editing wise, had a professional finish to it and through this editing completely deceives the original words that were spoken.

I chose to use the basement of 288 NX Road to display my installation for a few reasons.  This building is very symbolic to me and it holds some of my fondest memories whilst on the ECS course, so it very much has been the foundation of my learning.  It intrigued me that no one knew this part of the building and people felt uncomfortable when they were down there due to its damp and dirty atmosphere. It seemed perfect to show people the hidden roots of this building at the same time as showing them the hidden roots of how film can be used to mislead and prey on peoples vulnerabilities. 

We live in a country where we have the ability to go against ‘the man’, we can debate, we can critique, we can voice our opinions and we should never take these facts for granted.