By Karen Strunks, Birmingham UK

It’s been an exciting week, and I am delighted to be able to announce that 4ip and Screen West Midlands are supporting the 4am Project!

4ip is part of Channel 4 which helps to support and invest in digital media enterprises, and Screen West Midlands offers support, advice and funding for film, television and digital media.

4ip and Screen West Midlands investment and business support is a great boost for the 4am Project which will soon entering it’s second year! (My, how time flies!)

4iphave made an annoucement on their blog:

To the question that we always address when we announce a new investment, why 4iP? For me the 4am Project is a collaborative project that takes art to the mainstream; everyone has a camera, whether you’re passionate about your darkroom, or snapping something on a mobile phone, we are now able to capture every minutiae of our busy lives and share them with the wider world. The element of the 4am Project that really works for me is its focus. What do people see at a particular time on a particular day? At its core this is a project that is about collaboration, participation and discoverability. It’s also an example of an existing site that fits with our criteria beautifully. In order to continue to grow and capitalise on the success that it’s already achieved, the 4am Project needed both financial and business support. Through an initial project investment we’re able to help take Karen and her project to the next stage and a wider audience.

I wrote over on my personal blog:

Along with the support from 4ip and ScreenWM, the outcome and ideas generated at the Crossover Lab course I attended recently and my own plans, it’s going to be a very busy and creative year!

I’ve got stuck in already and my days are whizzing past with uber productivity. This productivity is taking the form of lots of; phone calls, emails, meetings, tweeting, blogging, phone calls & emails. I’m enjoying meeting new people, whether that be online or in person. Connecting with people who love the idea of the 4am Project and want to help support it and people  who have their own projects & dreams that they are working on which creates inspiration.

Last April I made a video (well, three videos actually!) about how the 4am Project started, how I spread the word, the help I received and problems encountered (and overcome!).

On the 4th Arpil 2010 the 4am Project will be celebrating it’s first birthday! Why not try something different, join other photographers from around the globe and take a photograph of your world at 4am! Get your friends involved, go on a 4am photo walk, explore your neighbourhood at an often unseen time!

If you would like to support the project by sponsorship, donating prizes for participants or you would like to contribute an idea, it would be great to hear from you. Drop me a line hello@4amproject.org or get in touch on twitter.

I’ll end with a BIG thank you to 4ip and Screen West Midlands for their support!