Documentary Project - News article Starting Point

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/30/england.deprivation

'Liverpool remains the most deprived district in England despite an influx of regeneration cash and a government drive to reduce inequality, official figures show.
New investment spurred by its status as European City of Culture has failed to boost local income or employment, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The city's deprivation score, using 2007 figures, has barely changed since the previous indices for multiple deprivation (IMD) showed it was bottom of the league in 2004.
Its population is poorly placed to benefit from investment and new jobs because skill levels are below average, according to consultants Local Futures, who analysed the figures for their deprivation barometer.
Liverpool council has initiated an outreach programme to point long-term unemployed people towards skills training, but a spokesman said it will be a while before that brings major benefits.
The city's lack of progress is mirrored across the country: 90% of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in 2004 remain so three years later.' (G, Sara. Liverpool is England's most deprived district government figures show. Society Guardian, Wednesday 30 April 2008 13.34 BST)

This news article was the main starting point for our documentary, fully detailing the problems faced by the city, we want to explore these meeting points between the deprave areas combined with the areas of investment seeking out how we as a developed country respond to poverty. This statement from one of the councillors which seemed particularly prominent; "Nobody wants to be labelled the most deprived. The capital of culture is about changing the perception of the city," If we can find this change of image we will want to challenge the audiences perception on the city. However, we will also be comparing this to the bad, showing that it still needs work and there is a real problem that needs to be solved. This statement seems to further express this want and need to change and that progress is being made, which links to the Edge Lane Boarded up social houses idea 'The new convention centre is expected to bring in £100m business spending a year, he said, and council houses have just been transferred to a tenant-led management company which will spend £1m a week over the next few years bringing houses up to the decent homes standard.' The picture i'm being painted from the background research is that it is definitely a city of juxtapositions, having new/old/dilapidated/culture/investment etc. I think this will form the interesting basis of our documentary.