Today (Mon 2 Feb) Watershed launched a new Individual Giving Programme. We are opening our doors wider to invite those who enjoy Watershed to increase their support so that we can continue to innovate, entertain and develop the diverse audiences with whom we work.

Watershed is a social enterprise and registered charity, established to advance education, skills, appreciation and understanding of the arts with a particular focus on film, media and digital technologies.

We are the major film culture and digital media centre in the South West. Our cinema programme is designed to increase audience choice and diversity with most of the films shown at Watershed not shown at other cinemas in Bristol. Last year we screened 345 different films from 45 producing countries.

But there is a lot more to Watershed than a Café/Bar and cinemas. A major focus of Watershed's work is with young people across the city, to develop their engagement with diverse film cultures and to support them in exploring and developing their own creative potential.

Watershed is also host to the Pervasive Media Studio, a creative technologies collaboration with University of Bristol and University of the West of England. The Studio is an internationally renowned centre working at the intersection of art, digital technology and society. Here we develop new ideas and talented people, supporting the continued growth of the creative economy in the Bristol city region.

To keep Watershed creative and dynamic we are constantly exploring initiatives and collaborations, which give us the freedom to develop new opportunities so that more people from all communities can participate in the Watershed experience. Donations from our supporters will give us more creative capacity to inspire and engage people in new cultural experiences. With continued support we will sustain the relevance, depth and diversity of our programmes so that audiences, young people, artists and the city of Bristol can continue to share and shape the Watershed experience and help us plan for the future with confidence.

Dick Penny, Managing Director of Watershed says:

'We are launching this new giving programme to help us stay fresh and inventive. Watershed has thrived by constantly engaging with new creative ideas, new technologies and new people. Interest in our programmes is increasing and with increased support we can and will do more, especially with young people.'

To find out more, please go to watershed.co.uk/support-us

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