Tag: film

New exhibition reveals ‘another world’ of Scottish film

Changing experiences of childhood documented on film

dancersFilms and videos shot by some of Scotland’s pioneering amateur filmmakers will be showcased in a new exhibition now open at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museum of Childhood.

This new archive has been developed through a four year research project undertaken by experts at the University of Glasgow. They have helped locate over 2,000 home movies, fiction films and sponsored documentaries made in Scotland throughout the twentieth century.

The project, entitled ‘Children and Amateur Media in Scotland’, charted the changing experiences of childhood. Together the films offer a unique and important insight into Scotland’s hidden cultural history.

It shows how children were represented by amateur filmmakers throughout the twentieth century, how they became film-makers themselves, and offers our only visual window into many domestic and community scenes, now lost, but once familiar to many.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of Culture and Sport at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The Museum of Childhood is one of Edinburgh’s most loved museums with an extraordinary collection of toys and games. For over 50 years, the museum has charted the changing environments children have grown up in, and the different ways they have played.

“The films involved give a fascinating glimpse into the past and the exhibition will perfectly complement the existing collections, while offering something completely new for visitors.”

Professor Karen Lury, Professor of Film & Television Studies and Principal Investigator of the project said: “What we have discovered is that there is ‘another world’ of Scottish film – many, many amateur film-makers, community arts workers and school teachers all making films that reveal a lively and imaginative culture that deserves to be celebrated. The industry and creativity of these amateur film-makers – young and old – rivals the professional industry in Scotland in terms of its global reach and historic importance.”

“We believe that when brought together, the resources produced through this project will create a unique and compelling visual document of Scottish popular history and of Scottish childhood that otherwise would have been lost.”

Working in collaboration with the Scottish Screen Archive, researchers have made these films available for study by experts and for public enjoyment via the SSA’s online catalogue.

The archive will allow the children of today to look back in time to see the culture and society that their parents and grandparents experienced as part of their own childhood.

The free exhibition will run until 18 May 2015 at the Museum of Childhood.

Click the link to Find out more information on the ‘Children in Amateur Media in Scotland’ project.

What-a-night

All aboard! Travelling Gallery stopping off in Drylaw

The Travelling Gallery at Calton Hill EdinburghThe Travelling Gallery is off on it’s travels again and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre will be one  of the destinations as the bus embarks on a five-month tour of Scotland.

For the past 25 years the Travelling Gallery has played an active part in exhibiting and promoting Scottish artists, so it is delighted to be part of GENERATION, a nationwide celebration of contemporary art in Scotland, which is taking place in over 60 venues throughout the country this year.

GENERATION: TG is a group exhibition which includes five Scottish artists; Laura Aldridge, Craig Coulthard, Mandy McIntosh, Hanna Tuulikki and David Sherry.

The exhibition will present new commissions alongside developments of existing works. A hand-made, craft element links all of the works in the exhibition, which include ceramics, textile wall hangings, digital animation, drawings, sculpture, film, performance and song.

The exhibition also includes a film of the artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, which was made in collaboration with Pilton-based Screen Education Edinburgh (formerly Pilton Video). The exhibition includes a short film of the artists talking about their work to pupils from three Edinburgh schools in collaboration with SEE (Screen Education Edinburgh).

The schools involved were Craigroyston, Holyrood and Portobello High Schools. All the pupils met with the artists, often in their studios, and asked them questions about their art and life as an artist. A programme of workshops, run by SEE, introduced the pupils to the film equipment, interviewing techniques and editing skills. The film will be available on YouTube and at www.travellinggallery.com.

The Travelling Gallery is a mobile contemporary art gallery, custom-built in a big, beautiful bus. The gallery is supported by Creative Scotland, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, a division of the City of Edinburgh Council.

The GENERATION: TG exhibition has been curated specifically for this unique space, and will travel the length and breadth of Scotland, visiting schools, high streets, community centres, and many other venues on the way. Travelling Gallery staff are always available to give formal, and not so formal, presentations on the exhibition at every stop.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convenor for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Once again the Travelling Gallery is set to be a fascinating exhibition which will draw crowds from communities across Scotland.

“This year, I am particularly looking forward to a short film that has been developed for the exhibition which includes artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools. Another highlight will be seeing the bus when it returns to the City Art Centre as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival in August.”

GENERATION: TG is part of GENERATION: a major, nation-wide exhibition programme showcasing some of the best and most significant artists to have emerged from Scotland over the last 25 years. It shows the generation of ideas, of experiences, and of world class art on an unparalleled scale by over 100 artists in more than 60 venues.

The programme is delivered as a partnership between the National Galleries of Scotland, Glasgow Life and Creative Scotland and is part of Culture 2014, the 2014 Cultural Programme.

The Travelling Gallery will tour the GENERATION: TG exhibition in the following areas:

19– 20 July – Tramway, Glasgow

24 – 29 July – North Lanarkshire

4 – 15 August – Edinburgh Art Festival

2 – 7 September – Nairn Book and Arts Festival

8 – 19 September – Highlands

22 – 26 September – Lewis and Harris

4 – 10 October – Moray

20 -24 October – Falkirk

27 – 31 October – South Ayrshire

3 – 7 November – Stirling

10 – 14 November – Edinburgh

During the Edinburgh Art Festival the gallery will be visiting these venues:

Monday 4 August – Leith Walk (near Shrubhill House) 12 – 6pm

Tuesday 5 August – Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes 11am – 5pm

Thursday 7 August – Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre 11am – 5pm

Friday 8 August – Portobello High Street 11am – 5pm

Monday 11 August – Scottish Gallery of Modern Art: Modern 2 10am – 6pm

Tuesday 12 August – Craigmillar Library 11am – 5pm

Wednesday 13 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm

Thursday 14 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm (plus Art Late North)

Friday 15 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm

See www.travellinggallery.com for all the details

@ArtinaBus or see @genartscot (#genartscot).

The Travelling Gallery getting ready to tour

It’s A Wonderful Life tops Christmas poll

Timeless classic It’s A Wonderful Life has been voted the best Christmas film of all time. The 1946 movie, starring James Stewart as suicidal George Bailey, beat the likes of Home Alone and The Muppet Christmas Carol in the Radio Times poll.

It pushed Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy Love Actually, starring Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon and Hugh Grant, into second place, followed by Will Ferrell movie Elf.

Family favourites The Muppet Christmas Carol and Home Alone took fourth and fifth place in the poll, carried out on RadioTimes.com.

Miracle On 34th Street and traditional Christmas films The Snowman and Scrooge also finished in the top 10.

Writing in the Radio Times, film critic Barry Norman said of It’s A Wonderful Life: “Frank Capra’s wonderful, life-enhancing film should be shown every Christmas preferably after the Queen’s Speech. Yes, it verges on the sentimental but never too much so. Far more it’s simply heart-warming – the grandaddy of all feel-good movies.”

:: RadioTimes.com top 10 Christmas films of all time

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

2. Love Actually (2003)

3. Elf (2003)

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

5. Home Alone (1990)

6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

7. Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

8. Miracle On 34th Street (1994)

9. The Snowman (1982)

10. Scrooge (1951)

What’s your favourite festive season film? Let us know!

film

Emma Thomson is new PASS patron

British superstar and Oscar award winning actress Emma Thompson has become the new face of Edinburgh College’s Performing Arts Studio of Scotland (PASS). ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????The Nanny McPhee and Sense and Sensibility star (pictured above), who is also a screenwriter and well-known human rights activist, has shown her support towards the performing arts arm of Edinburgh College by accepting the honour of being its patron.

Emma Thompson said: “Edinburgh College’sPerforming Arts Studio of Scotlandis an exciting, high octane, cutting edge centre that will attract much of the wealth of talent in Scotland and beyond. I’m very proud to be patron.”

The much-admired British actress became familiar with PASS after meeting Edinburgh College acting and theatre performance lecturer John Naples-Campbell when he was training as a theatre student at the Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow.

John said: “I first met Emma when I was 18 years old at the Scottish Youth Theatre (SYT). She came along to the theatre to hold a Q&A session with SYT students and, after listening to her talk about her career in the industry, I felt driven to continue with my career in performing arts – which is why I am anacting and theatre performance lecturer today.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Emma Thompson as patron as this means that our training at Edinburgh College is truly recognised by the very best in the industry. We look forward to welcoming her to our productions in the college’s theatre wherever possible, and we hope to work around her schedule to hold workshops with our students.”

John added: “Emma is an inspirational person, not only because of her many Academy Awards, but also because of her work as a human rights ambassador. Her tremendous work on stage and screen gives hope to any young person wishing to pursue a career in the arts and I know that having her as our patron will motivate and inspire our students to reach their full creative potential.”

As one of the world’s most respected actresses, Emma Thompson is known for her versatility in acting as well as screenwriting and she most recently appeared in The Boat That Rocked, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and as the voice of Queen Elinor in the Pixar animation Brave. As well as her work on screen, Emma Thompson also works as an educational ambassador for a UK-based human rights organisation, the Helen Bamber Foundation, to help rebuild the lives of, and inspire a new self-esteem in, survivors of human rights violations.

Edinburgh College offers a selection of dance, acting, technical theatre, costume design, and make up artistry courses.Former graduates from performing arts courses include Scottish actress Karen Gillan, who starred in the BBC’s Doctor Who. Previous students from PASS have also performed live at the O2 Arena and collaborated with Jon Lord at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, and have also performed live on stage with Lady Gaga.

EdCollogo

 

 

 

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

Invitation

Scottish BAFTA for Muirhouse filmmaker

BAFTAscotland

Congratulations to Muirhouse filmmaker Garry Fraser on winning a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Factual category for his autobiographical film ‘Everybody’s Child’ last night.

The acclaimed documentary – filmed mainly in Muirhouse and Pennywell – tells the story of Gary’s childhood and his later battles with heroin addiction. Remarkably ‘Everybody’s Child’ was a first documentary for Garry, who studied film making at Telford College.

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Free movies in Muirhouse

Looking for something to do with the kids on Saturdays?

Well look no further, North Edinburgh Arts and Link Up Muirhouse are to host free family film days. Starting Saturday 3 November from 12.30 you’re welcome to come along and enjoy the film of the day in North Edinburgh Arts Centre’s fantastic cinema!

Films will be shown from 1pm, but children are more than welcome to arrive early and purchase goodies for the film from the tuck-shop. When the film finishes everyone is welcome to head into the library as they staff will be holding a film relevant fun session.

Sat 3rd November – 1pm                               Top Cat

Sat 10th November – 1pm                             The Muppets

Sat 17th November – 1pm                             Shrek 4

Sat 24th November – 1pm                             Brave

These films are totally free and we hope to see many families enjoying them, Parents and carers are more than welcome to come to the Arts centre if they wish and sit in the modern café area whilst younger children watch the film.

So rather than spend time on the streets when it’s cold and miserable why not come to the centre and enjoy the film?

More information please call in to the Arts centre or telephone: 0131 315 2151 or visit www.muirhouseresidents.org.uk/

Robert Pearson

 

Young filmmakers SEE for themselves

Short films produced by local schoolchildren through the Cashback for Creativity initiative were premiered at North Edinburgh Arts Centre last night, and both ‘Danny’ and ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ were real quality productions.

Participants from Broughton High School, CORE, Pilton Youth and Children’s Project and Muirhouse Youth Development Group worked with professionals from Pilton-based Screen Education Edinburgh to produce the two short films, with the young people were involved at every stage of the process – from script writing and finding locations to acting, selecting soundtracks and editing. The young filmmakers discovered that an awful lot of preparation and hard work goes into creating even a short film, but their efforts were richly rewarded with two fine short films.

Introducing the films, SEE project manager James McKenzie said: “I think you will agree that these films are remarkable, given that most of the young people involved had no experience of filmmaking. I am sure they will be very proud when they see what they have produced – these are excellent films”.

Danny dealt with the issue of schizophrenia in an unusually entertaining way, while ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ was a silent movie, simple yet touching.

In a question and answer session with SEE engagement officer Neil Rolland after the screenings, the filmmakers were unanimous in saying that they had learned a lot from the process and all expressed a wish to go on to make more movies.

Kyle Fitzpatrick said: “I thought to begin with I would only be acting but we all got involved in lots of different aspects, things we hadn’t thought we would be doing – for me it was using film cameras, for example. It was a great experience and we learned a lot over the course of producing the films. This was the first time we’d seen the finished films and I think they look pretty good!”

The films will now be entered into film festivals and will appear on SEE’s website – www.screen-ed.org – sometime soon. The young filmmakers will also get their wish for more opportunities to male movies – Screen Education Edinburgh plan to set up a North Edinburgh Young People’s Film Group in the not too distant future. So you never know, Danny Two – the full length sequel?

Cashback for Creativity film premieres next week

Criminal profits have been put to good use with the launch of two short films created by local young people. Screen Education Edinburgh (SEE) (formerly Pilton Video) will be screening ‘Danny’ and ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ at North Edinburgh Arts Centre on Tuesday 18 September at 6.30pm.

SEE worked with young people from the outset on the projects which were made possible through funding from the Cashback for Creativity programme, a fund which takes cash confiscated from criminals and ploughs the money back into the communities they prey upon.

Cashback for Creativity (formally Creative Identities) is Creative Scotland’s programme that provides young people across Scotland with access to high quality dance, film and music activities, funded by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme which reinvests the proceeds of crime back into communities to benefit Scotland’s young people.

As part of the scheme, Screen Education Edinburgh are running an intensive programme of short film making for young people aged 12- 19 across the City of Edinburgh, with priority given to those living in areas of deprivation.

In North Edinburgh, a series of taster workshops took place in partnership with Broughton High School, Community Organisation for Race Equality, Muirhouse Youth Development Group and Pilton Youth and Children’s Project, leading to the most interested young people moving forward to form a core filmmaking group based at SEE. Learning the skills of screenwriting, acting, camera, sound and editing, the group have completed two short film’s ‘Danny’ and ‘When The Clock Strikes Fate’.

The two films will be premiered on Tuesday 18th September at 6.30pm at North Edinburgh Arts Centre to an audience that will include the cast and crew, their families and friends, invited guests and members of the public. The event will also feature a ‘making of’ documentary and a question and answer session with the young people involved followed by a small reception.

Seats are free and available on a first come, first served basis; so turn up early on the night to guarantee a seat!

SEE’s Creative Manager Graham Fitzpatrick said: “The project was a fantastic opportunity for North Edinburgh youngsters to learn how to make films, with two outstanding and mature dramas being produced. We look forward to the premiere and supporting the group as they build on the experience to produce more shorts, whilst the programme also rolls out to East and West Edinburgh from now until Christmas.”