animation – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Edinburgh cinema fans’ festive chance to raise funds for the homeless

Christmas cinemagoers in Edinburgh get the chance to enjoy a new heart-warming animated short film this month and raise funds for the homeless.

The Scotsman Picturehouse on North Bridge, The Cameo Cinema in Home Street and the Dominion Cinema on Newbattle Terrace are among cinemas all over Scotland showing Scottish author Angela Proctor’s festive story Arthur’s Christmas Tale.

Angela, who writes under the name AH Proctor, initially crafted the story as a poem highlighting kindness and homelessness for schoolchildren doing a charity sleep-in.

The tale of a brave little dog defying a Scrooge-like misery guts who despises Christmas was so successful that she has now transformed it into a short film, Arthur’s Christmas Tale, to raise funds for Shelter Scotland.

The animation features a little pug, Arthur, who encounters cold-hearted Jack Frost as he watches over his homeless master, James, sleeping on cardboard in the snow. The little dog wins over the icy, stranger with an act of kindness demonstrating the true spirit of Christmas.

“I love Christmas, I’m a big kid at heart, although I’m not really interested in presents,” says Angela, also a successful businesswoman, mentor and mother.

“It’s family time I love and togetherness and spending time with loved ones is what is reflected in Arthur’s Christmas Tale. The little dog is happy because he’s with James whom he loves unconditionally. He feels sorry for Jack Frost because he’s all alone, so sorry in fact that he gives him the only possession he has in the whole world – a shiny white bone, so that Jack doesn’t feel so alone anymore.

“It’s a poignant message and I’m hoping it will resonate with cinemagoers, where it is being shown during trailers throughout December, and help raise much-needed funds for Shelter Scotland.”

Sharryn McKelvie, Shelter Scotland Senior Community Fundraising Area Manager said: “This is a fantastic initiative by Angela at a time of year that can be full of despair for those without a home.

“We hope that those lucky enough to enjoy quality time in the warmth of a cinema will think about others less fortunate and donate what they can to help make sure no one has to fight the threat of homelessness alone.

“Shelter Scotland exists to defend the right to a safe home and fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society. Shelter Scotland believes that home is everything.

“As of 31 March 2023, there were 15,039 households in temporary accommodation, 9,595 of them children, the highest number recorded. Between April 2022 and March 2023, another 32,242 households became homeless – the equivalent of a household losing their home every 16 minutes.”

Angela, from the East End of Glasgow, who is best known for her Thumble Tumble series of stories for children, was determined to support art in Scotland by ensuring that all those involved in creating the film came from small, aspiring Scottish companies. She worked with Glasgow-based independent animation studio Clubhouse Animations and StrangeWorx Productions.

Arthur’s Christmas Tale is being shown in independent cinemas from Inverness to Dumfries throughout this month. Visitors will be able to donate via the Shelter Scotland Giving Page or by donating cash to collection buckets at cinemas across Scotland.

Animation launched to prevent drownings this summer

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has launched a brand-new animation which focuses on the Water Safety Code as part of its annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign which runs 17-24 June.

Since 1891 the national charity has been sharing their expertise in water safety, lifesaving, and lifeguarding to educate everyone to enjoy water safely. Drowning Prevention Week is now in its 10th year and continues to help educate school aged children on how they can enjoy water safely and prevent any future drownings.

The charity conducted research with parents in the UK which showed that only around one in six UK adults were familiar with the Water Safety Code and its aims, and one in four parents haven’t or don’t remember ever discussing water safety with their child(ren).

In 2022, we tragically saw 37 people aged 19 and under die from accidental drowning in the UK, and RLSS UK hopes that their new animation will provide parents with a starting point to have conversations with their children around water safety.

The animation walks through the water safety code which is the fundamental spine of all water safety education. It is designed to provide simple and easy to remember information that acts as both a proactive measure to help educate people to make early, critical decisions, and also to help people understand what they should do in an emergency.

The code focuses on four simple points:

STOP AND THINK: take time to assess your surrounds. Look for the dangers and always research local signs and advice.

STAY TOGETHER: when around water always go with friends or family. Swim at a lifeguarded venue.

IN AN EMERGENCY…

CALL 999: ask for the Fire and Rescue Service when inland and the Coastguard if at the coast. Don’t enter the water to rescue.

FLOAT: fall in or become tired – stay calm, float on your back and call for help. Throw something that floats to somebody that has fallen in.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said, “We hope that our new animation provides families with a resource to start those conversations around how everyone, including children, can stay safe in and around water.

“We want families to be able to enjoy the water but do this in a safe way by recognising any potential dangers, and also knowing what to do if they or someone else finds themselves in difficulty.

“The animation will also form part of our education resources that we have once again made available to primary and secondary schools in the UK and Ireland. Last year over 341,000 school children were educated in water safety using our free downloadable school resources and this year we hope to educate even more children.”

The charity provides educational resources for schools to allow them to integrate them easily into their curriculum to provide opportunities for all children to have the vital skills and knowledge around how to enjoy water safely.

RLSS UK are also working with their Patron Lord Storey as in June last year he put in a Water Safety Education (Curriculum) Bill, which went through its second reading in the House of Lords in April of this year. If approved, the Bill will mean that more water safety education will be a compulsory part of the curriculum, something RLSS UK has been lobbying towards for many years.

Lee continued, “Although swimming and water safety are included on the PE curriculum for England there are inequalities in reality that means many children do not have access to the water safety education that is so vital.

“Pre-COVID, almost 1 in 4 children were not hitting the statutory ‘can self-rescue’ standard. Worryingly there is huge disparity between high and low affluence households, as well as between different ethnic backgrounds, with those from the lowest affluence and those from ethnic minorities most likely to fail to reach the statutory standards.

“The work that RLSS UK does, in providing resources such as the animation and other school resources, as well as lobbying government to include water safety education on the curriculum, shows that we are committed to ensuring that there is equality when teaching water safety education to children in the UK and Ireland.”

For further details on water safety and to view RLSS UK’s latest animation, visit www.rlss.org.uk/DPW.

Family Animaton & Cooking Workshop at Corstorphine CC

Last remaining Free places

Wanna work with a professional animator? And a professional chef? Get creative on all fronts!

From 4pm – 7pm on Monday 18th October at the Hub 191 St Johns Road we are cooking up a storm and creating a cracker!

Email Fiona on development@ccchub.online to grab your free space- open to family groups

Book your free space now!

SELECT launches animation to help prepare for new heat and smoke alarm standard

Influential electrical trade body SELECT has launched a new public safety campaign to help raise awareness of the new heat and smoke alarm regulations being introduced across Scotland next February.

Scotland’s largest construction trade association has produced an engaging and informative animation to clarify what householders and landlords need to do to comply with the standard, in line with Scottish Government guidance.

It has also created a dedicated page on its new website for the public and electrical contractors that delivers FAQs, downloadable resources and details of training and available certification.

The organisation is now encouraging its 1,250+ member businesses to use and share the range of resources to familiarise themselves with the new rules and help educate the public.

Bob Cairney, Director of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “Our main aim is to help the public understand what they need to do, clearly and concisely, and where to go for help if they need it. This includes stressing the importance of using a qualified electrician to carry out the work.

“We also want to develop SELECT Members’ understanding of what is required by giving them the tools they need to help their customers.”

As well as the animation, SELECT has produced three downloadable guides, social media templates, training opportunities and details of available certification. All are hosted on a dedicated section of the revamped SELECT website, which was launched on 27 September.

The animation was developed by Iain Mason, Director of Membership & Communication at SELECT, who said: “Serving the public interest is at the heart of every professional organisation’s mission and SELECT is proud to lead the way.

“We hope the impact of this animation and other material will be to help as many people as possible get ready and comply with the new regulations before the implementation date.”

The new standard, which is applicable from 1 February 2022, requires that all homes in Scotland must have a smoke alarm on every storey including hallways and landings, a smoke alarm in the most frequented part of the house, such as the lounge, a heat alarm in the kitchen and a carbon monoxide alarm wherever there is a fuel burning appliance.

In addition, all the heat and smoke alarms must be interlinked, either mains-powered with battery back-up or be battery powered by a tamper-proof long-life battery to ensure there is an effective warning system to keep everyone and their property safe.

For mains-powered alarms or where householders cannot fit the battery-powered alarms themselves, they are being urged to use a qualified electrician.

The information campaign is the latest initiative from SELECT, which has a long track record of promoting safety messages around the industry and safeguarding the welfare of customers as well as the 15,000 people and 3,500 apprentices who work in it.

SELECT has also been leading a long-running campaign with other leading industry bodies to ensure that those who work in the industry do so in a safe and competent manner. It currently is engaged with the Scottish Government over the regulation of the industry.

TV students set for big screen debut

Edinburgh College Granton Campus TV students will be showcasing their talents at a screening at Edinburgh Filmhouse on Wednesday at 6pm. Telford’s Film and TV course has produced some fine creative talent over the years – take the opportunity to view the next generation!

For further information contact Television Lecturer Fergus Robb at Edinburgh College by email at fergus.robb@edinburghcollege.ac.uk

ECA’s Degree Show opens today

Edinburgh University’s Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show opens this morning and runs until 9 June.

Extra-large kitchen utensils, woodland explorations and exorcisms are just some of the things to experience at this year’s early summer ECA Degree Show. The College of Art in Lauriston Place has been transformed into the capital’s biggest gallery space as it celebrates the work of more than 500 graduating artists, film makers, designers and architects.

This year’s graduates have assembled a wonderfully diverse and imaginative exhibition which covers the whole arts and design spectrum. Creative, challenging, entertaining and thought-provoking, there’s something here for everyone in an exhibition that’s not to be missed.

For opening times and further information visit www.ed.ac.uk/eca/degreeshow