A 2006-2010 statement drafted for a revision of the OPEN CHANNEL Co-operative, as a Media Culture Centre based at SHED 4, Docklands.

OPEN CHANNEL is 32 years old in 2006. In recent years it has struggled to sustain itself, but despite all odds it has survived and continues to enjoy considerable support from the community it has fostered.

In 2006 OPEN CHANNEL will re-launch in a new location, priding itself as a centre for excellence in the provision of screen resources services to broad sectors of the Victorian community, focusing in particular on emergent screen practitioners, urban and rural communities, indigenous and migrant peoples.

Given the rapid developments in media based technologies, OPEN CHANNEL will expand its vision to encompass a broader articulation of screen culture and the moving image, it will focus on digital content creation and distribution from a multiplatform perspective, it will enhance the media literacy skills of the marginalised and it will sustain this practice through the establishment of a creative media hub in Docklands, complimenting the film and television, education and arts precincts emerging there.

In summary, OPEN CHANNEL relaunches as a comprehensive media culture centre, focusing on education, mentorship, production, online distribution and the provision of production equipment, encouraging participation in media production and the creation and distribution of critical media content.