The stories which we watch unfold - on the big screen, on our televisions and, more recently, on our phones and tablets - help shape the way we view the world (and the decisions we make).

The people who make the films and programmes we watch therefore have a powerful influence on us. Sadly, a relatively small number are women.

They control what we see and male characters and heroes dominate the screen (even the crowd scenes). But it wasn't always so...

Women of early cinema were both powerful and successful.
But they have all but been expunged from modern history.

This has a profound influence on aspirations of younger generations of women, bereft of role models and tricked into thinking there is no precedent for their ambitions.

You could change this.

£550 would allow us to purchase the rights to show a powerful documentary about their work and in particular the roll of Nell Shipman (1892-1970).

The rest of the money raised would enable the delivery of 6 workshops in the Brighton and Hove area led by Melody Bridges, co-editor and contributing author of Silent Women: Pioneers of Cinema.

The film has never been screened on TV or elsewhere in the UK. Melody secured a license to screen the film between May and October 2016. But to use the film beyond October 2016 she needs our help.

If we raise the full £1,600 we can also buy copies of the book - one for each school visited, to be placed in the library.

Screening the film in schools is important. Girls watch an average of 7 hours screened media every day. The workshops get them questioning who makes TV/film right now, and which voices/ faces do they see on screen and how representative is this. The response to these workshops thus far has been incredibly positive.

Please help.