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The countryside is often depicted as a place to live "the good life" and to escape the stresses and strains of modern life.
The Rural Media Company, based in Hereford, set about debunking this myth with its film Show & Tell. The documentary lifts the lid on rural people living in poverty.
Show & Tell brings unfamiliar voices to the screen and exposes the hardship and stigma of surviving on a low income in the countryside.
"People don't understand the hidden costs of living in a rural area. We are marginalised," says Emma, a lone parent and one of the contributors.
"The dentist is in Hereford," she adds. "We can get a bus there, but it takes an hour and costs £3 each way. That's £10 just to get there and back for me and my child." This is almost a fifth of her weekly income.
In the film people speak of having nowhere to live, abandoning A-levels for lack of money, of being unable to work because they cannot afford a car, of living without a phone, a TV, even hot water.
Jane Jackson, project director for Show & Tell, explains how the sensitive nature of the project almost prevented it from happening.
"You can't blend in here like you can in a city," Jackson says. "Nobody wants to talk about being poor. It is almost harder to talk about than anything else; it took months to find people to volunteer their stories."
"People feel that it is their fault, even if that isn't true. Poverty makes people feel powerless," adds Jackson.
Feelings of powerlessness and isolation were common among the participants who emphasised the importance of having strong social networks. Others spoke of the vital role service provision has in maintaining social networks and remaining active in society.
Nevertheless, for many participants the physical isolation of rural life plus their social isolation contributed to feelings of exclusion. Lone parent Tracey explains: "I have got no money to socialise … it is very hard being able to go out if you haven't got the money. So I save up the money, what I can, to go out. But when I do go out, I feel very guilty about it, because I think that the money I spent to go out, I could have spent on water rates or something else."
Many participants identified significant barriers and obstacles in claiming the services and benefits to which they are entitled. These included a lack of information, complex forms, and the inflexibility of the benefits system to understand their circumstances.
Others referred to feelings of worthlessness and lack of recognition arising from the way they were made to feel by service providers. For example, being "treated differently", viewed with suspicion, looked down on, or "processed" without real recognition of their situation and views.
Another contributor, Lyanne, says: "There is constantly a feeling that you're either trying to wangle something else, or are trying to cheat the system … As a single parent, I had to go to interviews to confirm why I was on income support. It did very much feel like I was being accused of just sitting on my bum, not doing anything, accepting this money and doing it on purpose almost, which certainly wasn't the case."
During the project, the word "poverty" itself was identified as part of the problem. Contributors considered it inherently damaging and isolating, because it signifies personal inadequacy and failure.
Yet the participants found the filming process itself was empowering. In follow-up interviews, contributors' self confidence was boosted by seeing themselves on screen, describing their experiences, and this has helped to break the debilitating cycle.
"It was great to be asked my opinion on a subject that obviously related very much to my situation," says Craig, a young local unemployed man. "I'm glad I did it because these are matters that need to be talked about."
Nic Millington, founder and chief executive of the Rural Media Company, explains the need for its work: "Rural life and coverage of rural communities is often through the prism of a metropolitan point of view," he says. "Locating ourselves in a rural area and allowing local people to have an input gives a platform for alternative points of view."
The company produces films which include participation from ordinary local people, a method favoured by directors such as Shane Meadows and Ken Loach. The organisation also produces Travellers' Times, the only publication aimed directly at traveller, Gypsy and Romany groups.
Millington believes that creative and media industries are finding a natural home in the country. "Rural areas are undergoing a huge demographic change and many people from the digital and media industries are relocating to the countryside," he explains.
These new industries relocate for the quality of life, and new technology allows it. "Media is a high-value industry," Millington explains, which "provides a tremendous opportunity for regeneration".
• For more information go to: www.ruralmedia.co.uk
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