Birmingham's Russian speaking population and Girl Guide groups are among the diverse range of communities that are set to benefit from an innovative programme of digital media projects. 

Under the banner 'Say Hello', six new projects supported by Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England will enable local communities and businesses to engage with digital media and develop new skills.

The projects include New Histories, devised by Sostenuto, which will bring together Birmingham's Russian speaking communities to tell their stories through social media, audio, video and the written word. Postcode Stories, developed by A+E Partners, will work with a groups of Girl Guides to created alternative 'Guided Tours' through Birmingham using storytelling, geo-tagging and audio capture.

YEP Media's Say It Online project will see six local families immerse themselves in Birmingham's arts and cultural scene for four weeks, using digital media to express their view and opinions online.

In addition, mac's Digi Playground project is working in partnership with Flatpack Festival to develop a menu of activities that will be toured across a number of communities and locations within Birmingham. 

Friction Arts will work with eight groups in Ladywood to create a series of short stories called 3 Minute Heroes, to celebrate local heroes and heroines.

The final project, Same/Difference, will bring an international element to the Say Hello line-up. Delivered by C&T, Same/Difference will work with partnerships in New York and Nairobi to create, compare and contrast residents' lives across the three countries using online maps. 

Cllr Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture at Birmingham City Council said:

"When we first introduced the Say Hello participatory programme last year it was designed to bring new technology to a wider audience, and it's been good to see the impact that the initial projects have made. For 2011, we are developing this further by commissioning a second round that will reach out to wider community groups and offer Birmingham's residents the opportunity to benefit from the social, educational and economic opportunities that digital media can offer." 

Peta Murphy-Burke, Relationship Manager, Digital & Creative Economy at Arts Council England said:

"We're delighted to continue our involvement with Say Hello and are pleased to see such a diverse selection of projects. We strongly believe in the importance of engaging with and understanding social media. These projects are designed to develop lasting skills which will not only benefit the individual participants but also the wider communities." 

Say Hello was launched as part of Hello Digital 2010 and several of the initial projects remain active including Retooled, which enabled a group of ex Rover employees to develop a website offering advice and support to people currently struggling with redundancy. 

The projects have all been commissioned by Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England West Midlands as part of Say Hello, and are designed to break new ground for participatory work around digital media.