Our Town is a community project with Rhode Island PBS where neighbors become filmmakers and tell the stories of Our Town.
The purpose of the Our Town project is to share the charm and character of Rhode Island towns and villages - in particular, untold or uncelebrated stories that capture the essence of life in the town. Building community by enhancing connections and relationships between Rhode Island PBS and town residents, the stories are told by resident storytellers and videographers, who choose the stories they want to tell about their town. The role of Rhode Island PBS is to offer technical advice and then stitch together the stories into a one-hour film.
Part fund-raiser, part community builder, part historical and cultural documentary, and part “day-in-the-life” video scrapbook, Our Town shares with viewers the local legends, historical happenings, and backyard secrets of a town and its villages.
Of its 39 municipalities, Rhode Island has 31 towns - each offering plenty of great stories and great people to tell them. We have visited Gloucester, North Kingstown, Portsmouth, West Warwick, and Westerly. (At this time, Rhode Island cities - Central Falls, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, and Woonsocket - although rich in history and great stories, are not yet eligible.)
So, what makes your town special? Do you have a story to tell about your town? Let us know you are ready and waiting to start! Tell us what makes your town special in 100 words or less. Encourage your neighbors and local organizations to participate, too - the town with the most nominations will be named in mid-February as the next Our Town location. Taping will take place over the spring, with the premiere of the film in September.
The official annual Call for Nominations runs from January 1 through 31. Please download the nomination form and return it by email or USPS. There is no cost to participate, and no compensation for winning.
Have a question? Call the Our Town project director Jodi Mesolella at 401-222-3636, ext. 209, or send an email to ourtown at ripbs-dot-org.
