What is it?

PiXil provides a real opportunity to engage with communities as well as providing an open platform for communities to entertain and inform themselves.

By installing and administering a network of screens connected to a central server where content is managed and distributed to the relevant end-users PiXil can speak to people on their home ground and in their own language.

PiXil grew out of demand from people producing digital content with no dedicated means of distribution. In 2003 ProMo-Cymru launched the Golden Pixil awards, supported by the WDA Golden Pixil awarded excellence in independent digital media production. We were overwhelmed with excellent work from people working completely apart from the media industry all desperate to present their work to a wider audience as well as work produced by community projects, schools and colleges.

Stills from a selection of pieces submitted to the 2003 Golden Pixil awards L-R “A Rumour is Spreading” - Gavin Porter and Kyle Legall, “The 4 E’s” - Mark Hulme and Jo Osborne, “Of Man and Fish” - Gareth Blaney, “Not Ready for Drowning” - Valleys Kids and “Chance” - James Cuff.

The internet provides an opportunity for distribution of video work but this is limited by bandwidth and cost. For the majority of web users streaming video is still an unrealistic aim. An over saturated marketplace means it can be difficult or expensive to find an audience for work and confusing for the end-user. PiXil strives to redress this by providing a platform that is free in, free out. Producers can present work to a wider audience. Focusing on a locality brings relevance to community content and creates a more tangible sense of community.