Written by Hannah Silvester
Since launching SubComm in 2021, Tiina and I have spoken a great deal about how to move the initiative forward. We have had fascinating discussions with practitioners about what this project might lead to. SubComm has been well-received by many, who are keen to see this community grow, and wondering where it may take us. We would like to continue these conversations, as well as involving other industry stakeholders and academics to a greater extent. We started an online forum to encourage discussion and help people get to know one another, and we launched a Twitter profile to stay in touch via social media. However, with maternity leave, job changes and summer holidays, progress has stalled at times. The great challenge in developing this community will really be getting the ball rolling, to the point where it gains enough momentum to keep going. We are all busy enough, and spend enough time in front of screens, that logging in to write a forum post is not always appealing. Tiina and I have had some ideas about what kinds of activities and events we might plan over the coming months to help bring us all together, and we wanted to share them here and ask for thoughts, feedback and suggestions.
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Coffee break chat/ networking
Academics and practitioners alike will be invited to grab a coffee and join us online for an informal, loosely-structured chat. We will share a talking point in advance, and see where the conversation leads us. This kind of event could take place once every couple of months, perhaps on a Friday (maybe 2nd September?). We know that other organisations such as ATA Audiovisual Division arrange similar events, but we think the more opportunities to connect, the better!
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Training/CPD events
Online training/workshops in skills/topics highlighted by practitioners as being of interest – machine translation/post-editing/quality.
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Focus groups/workshops
To find out more about what we can do to bring together academics and practitioners. What topics would practitioners like us to research? What research is being done that could be shared with practitioners and how?
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Your ideas
We see our role as supporters/facilitators, helping practitioners and academics find each other, connect with subtitlers’ associations and provide venues for dialogue. Is there something you would like us to organise? A topic you would like to discuss with other practitioners and/or academics? Let us know in the comments below!
