Brand PR
CONNOR PR WORKING WITH SHOOTING TIGER PICTURES ON THEIR LATEST FILM “WELCOME TO CURIOSITY” UK PREMIERE ARRIVES IN LONDON ON MONDAY 4th JUNE 2018
UK PREMIERE ARRIVES IN LONDON ON MONDAY 4th JUNE 2018
HEADING TO DVD & DIGITAL HD AND SELECTED UK CINEMAS FROM FRIDAY 8th JUNE
Prepare for palpitating, edge-of-your-seat suspense as Salt Film Releasing presents psychological thriller and British feature, Welcome To Curiosity, arriving in selected UK cinemas and heading to DVD and Digital HD across the UK and Ireland from Friday 8th June.
With a stellar ensemble cast, the British indie film was shot in Cornwall and set in the fictional English town of Curiosity. It stars Richard Blackwood (Eastenders, Outside Bet, The Guvnors), Stephen Marcus (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones, The Good Karma Hospital), Cristian Solimeno (Rush, Love, Footballer’s Wives), Jack Ashton (Call the Midwife, Endeavour, Four Seasons) and Kacey Clarke (The Inbetweeners, Blood Orange).
Welcome To Curiosity explores four parallel storylines with the fates of five key characters unwittingly and sometimes fatally intertwined; a heist gone wrong, a serial killer on the rampage, a lunatic missing from the asylum, a vulnerable girl mixed up with a predatory man and a salesman with a vivid imagination. All with just one thing in common; an insatiable curiosity which may ultimately cost them their lives.
The story begins with the news that psychotic mass-murderer, Lee Hunting, has escaped from a psychatric unit. DS Binon is assigned to track the killer down and sets about a full scale man-hunt.
Arch-nemesis Fordy (Richard Blackwood) and Dexter (Cristian Solimeno) are commissioned by Dexter’s ex-father-in-law to carry out an armed robbery. Having pulled the heist off successfully, Fordy and his gang double-cross Dexter and a firefight ensues injuring Dexter’s right hand man, Al (Eke Chukwu). Dexter and Al escape with the £6 million haul and hide out on a rural farm, taking its owners Martine (Kacey Clarke) and her brother Thomas (Christopher Rithin) hostage. Events soon take a turn for the worse and the unlikely group go on the run as Dexter tries to flee the country.
Zoe (Amrita Acharia) is a young runaway who meets the dangerous and violent Sean (Jack Ashton) at a roadside cafe. The deadly duo embark upon a journey of lust and vengence with tragic consequences.
Elliott (Finn Corney) is young newspaper boy with an inquisitive mind. With the news of a serial killer on the loose in his rural village, Elliott becomes convinced the killer is local gardener, Stubbs (Brian Croucher) and sets out to investigate. But as the net closes in on the killer, will Elliott find out the truth and live to tell the tale?
Struggling beer salesman Tim (Gary Grant) is frustrated and disillusioned by life, which takes him on the road six days a week. He’s also deeply resentful of his boss. By chance, he picks up a hitchhiker who takes him on a wild and precarious journey through the seedier side of life. Events take a surreal and sinister turn for the worse and Tim soon realises his life is changed forever.
Directed by Ben Pickering (The Smoke), with screenplay by Darren Ripley (The Smoke, The Gatekeeper), Welcome To Curiosity is produced by Shooting Tiger Pictures and Taffy Boy Films. Cinematography is by Bruce Melhuish (The Glass Man, I Made This For You) with production design by Hannah Howell. Award-winning music composers, Luke Corradine and Stewart Dugdale are on board, producing a captivating original music score.
Director, Ben Pickering, said: “The film was originally written to be set in the rural United States but various reasons filming there was impractical for us. One of the challenges of bringing it to life on this side of the Atlantic was preserving that quirkiness. Rather than setting it in a town we all know, we created this fictional town of Curiosity where everything just isn’t quite right.”
“We considered shooting the film in Wales (where I grew up) and in secluded rural parts of Hertfordshire, even finding locations in both. And then one day while out with my kids, we stumbled across this vintage American diner called Mimi’s, parked up in an industrial estate near St Austell in Cornwall. It was so completely out of place, I took it as a sign.”
“So we moved the production down to Cornwall, using local cast and crew wherever we could and shipping in everything else. For a low-budget film seeking to punch above its weight, with aerial sequences and firefights, it was an enormous logistical challenge.”
Star, Richard Blackwood, who plays the villain Fordy, added: “We shot the movie before I started EastEnders and it’s coming out just after I’ve finished, which is great. As happens a lot with low-budget British movies, it can take a long time to hit the screens, there so much involved in making these things happen that people don’t see.”
“It’s the closest thing to Pulp Fiction because it’s an amalgamation of different stories intertwining.”
“My character Fordy is basically everyone’s nightmare. He’s borderline psychopathic and will take almost anyone out who gets in his way. But he does it with humour and a smile.”
Welcome To Curiosity hit the headlines in 2014 as the world’s first ever equity-based crowdfunded film through online investor platform, Seedrs.com. Many independently produced films have since gone on to use this equity-based model, which enables investors to own a stake in the film and its profits. Welcome To Curiosity was the first in the world to pioneer this route.
Before landing in the UK, Welcome To Curiosity will also be released in selected cinemas across North America on Friday 25 May. The UK premiere will take place in London’s Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square on Monday 4 June, attended by cast and crew who will participate in a Q&A following the screening.
-‐ENDS-‐
FILM INFO:
Running time: 94 mins approx.
BBFC Cert 15
Watch the trailer: http://www.vimeo.com/welcometocuriosity7
For more information, media interviews or images please contact:
Siobhan Connor at Connor PR on 07966 177025 or email siobhan@connorpr.com
Hayley Hamburg at Connor PR on 07799 714727 or email hayley@connorpr.com
Editors notes:
About Salt Film Releasing
Salt Film Releasing is an all rights UK distributor. Part of the Tiger Lane Group of companies (whose subsidiaries include Shooting Tiger Pictures and Taffy Boy Films), it was established in 2017 to fill a gap in the distribution market for low-budget (less than £500,000 budget) UK British films struggling to gain distribution. WELCOME TO CURIOSITY is Salt’s first UK release, hitting UK cinema screens, DVD shelves and VOD platforms in June 2018. It will be followed by 10-12 releases per year, drawn from the best of the 60% of British films made for under £500,000 each year but which struggle to secure distribution.
About Shooting Tiger Pictures
Shooting Tiger Pictures is a London-based film and television production company run by Welsh film producer-director Ben Pickering. It develops low-to-medium budget British films for the domestic and international market as well as television projects in collaboration with Taffy Boy Films and others. It also offers production services through its parent company Jericho Lane. Shooting Tiger’s first feature, WELCOME TO CURIOSITY, will be released in selected cinemas, on DVD and on VOD in the UK, US and Canada in June 2018.
About Taffy Boy Films
Taffy Boy Films is a Wales-based film and television production company. Headed by writer-director Darren Ripley (writer of UK features THE SMOKE and WELCOME TO CURIOSITY), it develops film and television projects often with a crime theme. Following the release of WELCOME TO CURIOSITY in June 2018 in the UK, US and Canada, it will shortly begin production of the comedy TAFF’S GOLD directed by Ripley and produced by Shooting Tiger Pictures’ Ben Pickering.
Welcome To Curiosity, Ben Pickering, Film, Connor PR, Connor PR and film PR, Connor PR and premiere PR, Richard Blackwood (Eastenders, Outside Bet, The Guvnors), Stephen Marcus (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones, The Good Karma Hospital), Cristian Solimeno (Rush, Love, Footballer’s Wives), Jack Ashton (Call the Midwife, Endeavour, Four Seasons) and Kacey Clarke (The Inbetweeners, Blood Orange).
CONNOR PR PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH TACKLE PROSTATE CANCER AND LAUNCH THEIR INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
TACKLE LAUNCHES INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN
‘CYCLE TO THE MOON’ TO HELP RAISE AWARNESS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Tackle Prostate Cancer, the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK, has announced their inaugural national cycling event ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ – a major fundraising initiative that will encourage people of all ages to get on their bikes and raise awareness and money for the fight against prostate cancer.
Cycle to the Moon is a chance for members of the public to show their support through their cycling miles either on the roads, in the gym, at home or on outdoor trails throughout the month of May 2018. The event is open to all ages regardless of ability. It is designed to be a fun, healthy activity raising funds on behalf of Tackle Prostate Cancer as well as encouraging the next generation to participate. It also aims to raise awareness and encourage men at risk of prostate cancer to get tests and earlier diagnosis. The campaign’s target is £250,000 – £1 for every mile between Earth and the Moon.
Roger Wotton chairman of Tackle Prostate Cancer says: “We know how devastating the diagnosis of prostate cancer can be. Raising awareness and funds through this campaign will hopefully see more men being tested earlier, and help accelerate a reduction in mortality figures. Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the man diagnosed – it affects his whole family.”
Tackle Prostate Cancer is a patient-led charity addressing the real issues people face when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and helping people to cope with their diagnosis and treatment. As a National Federation, Tackle has 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members.
Cycle to the Moon ambassador, vocal coach and TV presenter David Grant, said:
“Prostate cancer does not care who it affects or the devastation it causes to patients and their families. It’s a cause close to my heart as my cousin was diagnosed, so I want to urge you to make a difference and get on your bikes and clock up some miles. One man dying every 45 minutes is a startling figure and we all need to do what we can to reduce mortality figures. This is a chance for members of the public to fight this cancer. The event is open to all ages regardless of abilities, it is designed as a fun and healthy activity whilst at the same time raising funds for Tackle Prostate Cancer.”
Prostate cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer. making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. Every penny raised will make a difference, lives will be saved and more people will be aware of the need to be tested. The money will help the charity continue to meet its objectives of campaigning on behalf of patients and raising awareness in the community. It will also enable the ‘Save a Dad’ initiative to be followed through in secondary schools where the aim is to get a discussion on prostate cancer in the National Curriculum, just as breast cancer is included today. Working through secondary schools Tackle would like to make teenagers aware that prostate cancer will impact 1 in 8 of their dads. The charity hopes that by educating the next generation about the importance of men being tested earlier it can help “Save a Dad”.
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, Chairman, Tackle Clinical Advisory Board said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unfortunately many men are unaware of this fact and unaware that there is a blood test, PSA, that is an indicator of their risk. The ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ initiative will raise children’s awareness and thus their fathers. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved. Knowledge is power.”
Lord Rose, Ambassador for Tackle Prostate Cancer said: “One in eight men in the UK will develop Prostate Cancer. Tackle’s initiative ‘Cycle to the Moon, Save a Dad’ is an exciting fundraising event which aims, through schools, to raise awareness in the next generation and hopefully see more men at risk of prostate cancer having an earlier diagnosis.”
If you would like to get involved please go to: http://cycletothemoon.tackleprostate.org/ where you can download a fundraising pack full of great ideas and tips to get cycling for the fight against prostate cancer.
Email: saveadad@tackleprostate.org
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Media information: For images, interviews or case studies, or if you have a story please contact Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com Tel 07966177025
For information on support groups, prostate cancer and testing days, visit www.tackleprostate.org.
Join the conversation: Please use our #SAVEADAD on social media to show your support.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/tackleprostate/
Twitter: @tackleprostate
Instagram: tackle_prostate_cancer
About Tackle
Tackle is the voice of prostate cancer patients and their families in the UK. As a National Federation, we only exist by virtue of our 90 support groups across the country, representing some 15,000 members. Effective communications is a challenge, not just in dealings with the media, but also in making sure our organisation stays in touch with its grass roots – patients!
So, how do we approach this challenge? Our overall strategy has three themes – Supporting Patients, Raising Awareness and Campaigning on Issues.
In the UK:
- 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer
- 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
- You are more at risk of prostate cancer if:
- you are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
- your father or brother has had it.
- If you’re overweight or obese, you might have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
- If you’re a black man over 45, speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer
#Prostate Cancer #Cycle to the Moon #PSA #1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer #Siobhan Connor #Connor PR charity PR #Siobhan Connor Charity PR
Siobhan Connor of Connor PR Introduces her column in My Shrewsbury Magazine
ITS OFFICIAL, BRIGHTON IS THE HAPPIEST CITY IN THE UK – HERE’S THE COVERAGE
News Generation for FMCG super seed client 9NINE
Whicker’s World Foundation launches new grant for New York-based Chicken & Egg Pictures
Whicker’s World Foundation launches new grant for New York-based Chicken & Egg Pictures
- Whicker’s World Foundation is expanding its reach to help ensure that more women enter the profession.
- Chicken & Egg Pictures supports women non-fiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyses social change.
-
Submissions for existing Whicker’s World Foundation Awards 2017 are being accepted.
Whicker’s World Foundation launches a new bursary for New York-based Chicken & Egg Pictures, to help fulfil their mission to increase the number of women documentary makers introduced into the industry pipeline.
Whicker’s World Foundation—set up to fund a new generation of documentary makers—is expanding its reach to help ensure that more women enter the profession. The Foundation, which awards one of the biggest cash prizes in documentary production (£80,000 to an individual) has created an additional annual £10,000 grant for Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Accelerator Lab program.
Accelerator Lab, open to applicants from around the world, provides first- and second-time women filmmakers with a $35,000 grant, a year-long creative support program with participation in three one-week labs (all expenses covered), mentorship catered to each individual and her project, and opportunities for networking with industry professionals and the filmmaker community. As Jenni Wolfson, Executive Director of Chicken & Egg Pictures, said about the program, “We don’t simply support films, we foster careers. This holistic approach is the key to successfully supporting women filmmakers.”
The New York-based organisation’s strategy uniquely aligns with Whicker’s World’s continued efforts to broaden the world of documentary. Announcing the new annual award, Alan Whicker’s lifelong partner and founder of the Foundation Valerie Kleeman said: “Alan wanted his legacy to help documentary makers the world over. He was ahead of time in his enthusiasm and support for the female perspective in his own filmmaking. At the Whicker’s World Foundation, we want to be sure that there is equal opportunity for men and women in documentary and I have been impressed by the fact that Chicken & Egg Pictures give to women when they most need it. I feel sure that funding at an early stage will make a huge difference to women in this industry.”
The Foundation is kicking off its support with a grant towards Assia Boundaoui’s participation in the Accelerator Lab program for The Feeling of Being Watched, an exploration of the FBI’s pre-9/11 counterterrorism activities in the filmmaker’s Arab-American neighbourhood outside of Chicago.
“We are so excited about this highly topical project and hope our support will help ‘accelerate’ Assia’s film towards receiving more funding and making the most powerful film she can. Last year, only one in five of our finalists for our main funding award was a woman. We hope the Whicker’s World grant to the Accelerator Lab will widen the base of would-be applicants,” said Jane Ray, Artistic Director of Whicker’s World Foundation.
Not the first time the two organisations crossed paths in the world of documentary, the Foundation previously made an ad-hoc payment of £5,000 to another Chicken & Egg Pictures grantee, Hana Mire, who is developing Rajada Dalka (Nation’s Hope), the working title of a film about Somalia’s women’s national basketball team.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
For press enquiries about Whicker’s World Foundation please contact:
Siobhan Connor
CONNOR PR
+44 (0)7966 177025
siobhan@connorpr.com
www.connorpr.com
twitter: connorpr
About Whicker’s World Foundation
Whicker’s World Foundation was set up in 2015 and gives one of documentary’s biggest cash prizes (£80,000) to an authored documentary-maker every year and £15,000 to the runner up. Entries for the main WWF Funding award close on February 14th 2017.
Applications for the Radio & Audio Funding Award close 28th February 2017
Applications for the 2017 Audio Recognition Award close 14th February 2017
Applications for the 2017 Sage Awards close 14th February 2017
For further information visit www.whickersworldfoundation.com
Join the conversation: facebook.com/whickersworldfoundation
https://twitter.com/whickersworld @whickersworld
Chicken & Egg Pictures
Chicken & Egg Pictures supports women non-fiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change.
For more information, visit chickeneggpics.org or contact Cindy Choung, External Relations Manager, Chicken & Egg Pictures, at cindy@chickeneggpics.org
http://www.feelingofbeingwatched.com/home/#the-film
film, documentary, TV, Whicker’s World Foundation, Connor PR, specialist in film PR, Specialist in TV publicity
ALAN WHICKER COLLECTION NOW AVAILBLE TO VIEW AT BFI SOUTHBANK AS PART OF LATEST ACQUISITIONS EXHIBITION
ALAN WHICKER COLLECTION NOW AVAILBLE TO VIEW AT BFI SOUTHBANK AS PART OF LATEST ACQUISITIONS EXHIBITION
Inside Whicker’s World: The life and travels of Alan Whicker
- Alan Whicker collection on view now as part of an exhibition of material from the BFI National Archive’s Special Collections; ‘Latest Acquisitions’ is free to view in the Mezzanine Gallery at BFI Southbank until October 23
- Items on display include Alan Whicker’s passports, a BBC Audience report for Whicker Down Under, interview question cards for Papa Doc: The Black Sheep (1969) and The World of James Bond (1967), photographs, correspondence, and shooting schedules
- Test your knowledge by taking part in a travel quiz made by the Whicker’s World Foundation – https://whickersworldfoundation.com/2016/10/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-whickers-world/
- Submissions for Whicker’s World Foundation Awards 2017 are now being accepted
As well as caring for one of the world’s richest and most significant moving image collections, the BFI National Archive also holds world-class Special Collections of scripts, posters, designs, photographs and other documents, including the archives of some of Britain’s most important film and programme makers. This exhibition presents highlights from some of our exciting recent acquisitions including the papers of Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan, television journalist and documentary-maker Alan Whicker, and S John Woods, the man behind many of the best-loved Ealing Studios posters. The exhibition is open now and free to view until October 23rd 2016 at BFI Southbank, Mezzanine Gallery, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XT.
The BFI National Archive is now home to the archives of pioneering investigative TV journalist, Alan Whicker, donated by Valerie Kleeman, Whicker’s World Foundation. The collection contains meticulous records of one of the most enduring and influential careers in British television history, spanning the late 1950s into the 21st century.
This is an extensive and significant donation covering the entire career of a world-renowned broadcaster, and represents a unique insight into the production methods of a master documentarian. Alan Whicker’s name is a by-word for brilliantly crafted and revealing studies of people and places, whether exploring behind the scenes of the Miss World competition, interviewing Papa Doc in Haiti, or exposing the lifestyles of the hippies of San Francisco, with an enquiring mind and a sceptical tone. This unlikely figure, clad in Gucci tie and blazer, found his way into the nation’s hearts as he went where his audience was unlikely to follow.
The meticulously kept Alan Whicker archive spans the years 1938-2014. It includes a school report from 1938, documents relating to his war career and letters, photographs, extensive production files, audience reports, interview notes and questions (including Whicker’s hand-annotated question cards) and transcripts of every TV programme he made, along with some, as yet, unidentified films. The archive gives an insider’s view of some of the key events, social trends and personalities of the 20th century, while fully documenting the changing world of television reportage across more than five decades.
Around Whicker’s World in 13 Guesses
Test your knowledge of Alan Whicker’s Life and Work by taking part in our quiz
https://whickersworldfoundation.com/2016/10/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-whickers-world/
Submissions for Whicker’s World Foundation Awards 2017 are now being accepted
The Funding Award
This is the primary focus of Whicker’s World Foundation. Each year £80,000 will be awarded to a new director with the most promising pitch for an authored documentary which fulfils the core criteria of the Foundation and can be completed for screening with this award. The money will be paid in instalments to the director’s film company, enabling a project which deserves to reach as wide an audience as possible. This year it was won by Alex Bescoby for Burma’s Lost Royals. The closing date for entries is 31st January 2017 and the shortlists will be announced in May 2016. Entrants must be aged 35 years or younger on the closing date for applications. The first winners will be announced by Whicker’s World Foundation at the Sheffield Doc/Fest Award Ceremony, which will take place on the final night of the 2017 festival, 13th June 2017.
The Whicker’s World Radio and Audio Funding Award (RAFA)
For 2017 we are introducing a new Funding Award for Radio and Audio documentary projects in association with the Radio Academy. This is for a documentary, 15 minutes or over, broadcast or published online in the previous year. The Whicker’s World Radio and Audio Funding Award (RAFA) has a £5,000 first prize and £2,000 runner up award. The deadline for this award is the 23rd of December, with the best pitch being announced at a special event in March 2017.
The Recognition Awards
In addition to our funding awards there are two further annual prizes to recognise completed work: the ‘Audio Award’ and the ‘Sage Award’, the latter of which is for the finest industry newcomer over the age of fifty.
Alan worked in radio before TV and was snapped up by Radio 2 in the late 1990s, adding what Jim Moir, the Controller from 1996 to 2003, described as “great lustre to my network”. Initially Alan’s radio programmes revolved around re-visiting his most memorable encounters from Whicker’s World: from the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ to Margaret Rutherford’s transsexual adoptee who ‘gave birth’ to a mixed-race daughter in South Carolina. He went on to create a radio history of television called It’ll Never Last.
Whicker’s World Foundation will award an annual £5,000 prize for the best audio project of over 15 minutes in length, broadcast in the last year. A runner-up will receive £2,000.
The Whicker’s World Sage Award
‘Retirement’ was not a word in Alan’s vocabulary. He was 83 when he wrote and presented Whicker’s War, a much acclaimed account of his army experiences in Italy for Channel 4. He made his last series for BBC Two, Journey of a Lifetime, in his late eighties. The Sage award will recognise a TV or audio professional who has come to air with an authored story for the first time, a prize of £5,000 will be awarded annually to an applicant aged 50 plus. Submissions of no more than 10 minutes; this can be for presentation but must be their own work. A runner-up will receive £2,000. Keith Earnest Hoult won this award for for Fluechtlinge – Refugee. Keith, a fan of Alan Whicker’s ‘gentle approach’ to interviewing, was inspired to create a ten-minute film about Syrians seeking refuge in a disused airport used for the Berlin Airlift. When he witnessed his friend’s wife Caroline trying to help refugees against a growing backlash he ‘felt the urge to film it if only for her family to reflect on later in life’. Keith learnt his film-making skills at the SAE Institute after redundancy and divorce turned his life upside-down. Judges were impressed that he made this entirely self-funded film as ‘a simple tale of ordinary people helping other ordinary people at their time of most desperate need.’
For further details on the awards and entry forms please go to
www.whickersworldfoundation.com
-ENDS
Notes to editors:
For images, media information and interviews please contact:
Siobhan Connor at Connor PR siobhan@connorpr.com + 44 (0) 7966 177025
For Terms and Conditions and award Criteria please go to http://whickersworldfoundation.com/application-forms/
Join the conversation: facebook.com/whickersworldfoundation
https://twitter.com/whickersworld @whickersworld
About Whicker’s World Foundation
On 7 June 2015 Whicker’s World Foundation, whose principle aim is to give a much needed fillip to authored documentary storytelling in the UK, launched three new documentary awards worth over £100,000 for the promotion of curiosity in programme making, generously funded by a legacy left by the celebrated broadcast journalist Alan Whicker. The launch took place in the Sheffield Winter Gardens led by Alex Graham, chair or Doc/Fest, Jane Ray, Artistic Director for the foundation and Kim Longinotto, multi award winning filmmaker. Entries for 2017 Awards opened on September 26th 2016 www.whickersworldfoundation.com
ALAN WHICKER COLLECTION DONATED TO BFI NATIONAL ARCHIVE
ALAN WHICKER COLLECTION
DONATED TO BFI NATIONAL ARCHIVE
London – Thursday, 5th May 2016. The BFI National Archive is pleased to announce that it has received the archives of pioneering investigative TV journalist, Alan Whicker, donated by Valerie Kleeman, Whicker’s World Foundation. The collection contains meticulous records of one of the most enduring and influential careers in British television history, spanning the late 1950s into the 21st century.
This is an extensive and significant donation covering the entire career of a world-renowned broadcaster, and represents a unique insight into the production methods of a master documentarian. Alan Whicker’s name is a by-word for brilliantly crafted and revealing studies of people and places, whether exploring behind the scenes of the Miss World competition, interviewing Papa Doc in Haiti, or exposing the lifestyles of the hippies of San Francisco, with an enquiring mind and a sceptical tone. This unlikely figure, clad in Gucci tie and blazer, found his way into the nation’s hearts as he went where his audience was unlikely to follow.
The meticulously kept Alan Whicker archive spans the years 1938-2014. It includes a school report from 1938, documents relating to his war career and letters, photographs, extensive production files, audience reports, interview notes and questions (including Whicker’s hand-annotated question cards) and transcripts of every TV programme he made, along with some, as yet, unidentified films. The archive gives an insider’s view of some of the key events, social trends and personalities of the 20th century, while fully documenting the changing world of television reportage across more than five decades.
The material will be stored at the BFI National Archive’s paper store at Berkhamsted where it joins over 600 named collections from individuals such as producers Michael Balcon, David Puttnam and Betty Box, directors including David Lean, Joseph Losey, Michael Powell, Carol Reed, Mike Hodges, Muriel Box and Derek Jarman, writers such as Emeric Pressburger, Janet Green and Trevor Griffiths, and documentary filmmakers such as Humphrey Jennings, Derek Armstrong and Michael Orrom. Among the most recent additions to the collection are the archives of Ken Loach, Alan Parker, Jenny Beavan, Richard Lester, Karel Reisz, Jack Clayton and Halas & Batchelor. The Whicker papers will be able to be consulted by researchers and students of television history once cataloguing is fully completed.
Robin Baker, Head Curator, BFI National Archive said, “This is a major collection that gives us a unique insight into one of the great figures of 20th century television. Alan Whicker was a household name, famed for his daring and insightful investigations of people from all walks of life, from close to home and around the globe. His standards were meticulously high and his programmes set a benchmark for longform television documentary. The Alan Whicker collection is a very generous and important donation from Valerie Kleeman of the Whicker’s World Foundation, for which we are extremely grateful. We’re delighted that Whicker’s papers are now part of the national collection of film and television. “
Valerie Kleeman, Whicker’s partner in life and work for over 40 years and founder of the Whicker’s World Foundation said, “The Whicker’s World archive is now where it belongs – in the safekeeping of the BFI – where, I hope, its content will be of help and guidance to generations to come.
The 90 boxes, carefully curated by archivist Catherine Kirby, contain an intimate and personal take on the last half of the 20th century. Beginning with a letter informing him he has passed his School Certificate and continuing throughout his life in the Army Film and Photographic Unit, journalism and television, Alan Whicker observed both the light and the shadows of life.
Often he witnessed history in the making: war trials in Strasbourg, race riots in Alabama. He had access to the unaccessible: dictators, witch doctors, cults – and even the occasional royal. ‘Whicker’s World’ covered everything from bullfighting and the first gay weddings to the horrors of Papa Doc’s Haiti, always with intelligence, often with humour.
Whicker wrote and filmed what he saw, he had no preconceived ideas, no axe to grind. His motivation was to stimulate, to interest, to entertain…..and to allow viewers to come to their own conclusions.
The archive contains 60 years of carefully documented work: transcripts, notes, diaries and photographs, a lifetime of watching the world through thoughtful, quizzical eyes.”
Alan Whicker CBE (1921-2013) was a renowned journalist, broadcaster and television presenter. During the Second World War he joined the Army Film and Photo Unit, and by the 1950s he was working as a foreign correspondent for a Fleet Street agency, and then as a broadcaster for BBC Radio. In 1957 he was spotted by producer Alasdair Milne (later Director-General of the BBC) who gave him a regular ‘Whicker’s World’ slot on the ground breaking Tonight programme. This paved the way for the longer format Whicker’s World which began in 1965 and ran for 40 years on the BBC and ITV.
His reportage spanned the globe and covered a huge range of subjects which reflect all aspects of 20th century culture, politics and history. These include race relations, gay marriage, gun culture, bullfighting, haute couture and interviews with significant (and often controversial) figures of the 20th century, for example, Francois Duvalier (‘Papa Doc’), the notorious Haitian dictator, and oil billionaire John Paul Getty. At the height of his popularity Whicker’s programmes commanded audiences of 15 million people. Whicker’s work was also significant in terms of style and format, for example, he was an early pioneer of the ‘blue light’ programme, a format that is now well-established and perennially popular (shadowing police in their daily and nightly duties). Alan Whicker is a significant cultural figure and a household name for a whole generation. He won many awards during his career including the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award and the Screenwriters’ Guild Best Documentary Script (in 1963). His legacy lives on through the Whicker’s World Foundation which supports new documentary talent.
About the BFI
The BFI is the lead organisation for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:
- Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
- Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations
- Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK – investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
- Promoting British film and talent to the world
- Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences
The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role:
- As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government
- By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK
- By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK.
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger.
About the BFI National Archive
The BFI National Archive was founded in 1935 and has grown to become the one of the largest and most important collections of film and television in the world with over 180,000 films and 750,000 television programmes. For over 80 years the BFI has been an international leader in film preservation and guardian of Britain’s unparalleled film and TV heritage. The BFI is an innovator in presenting films to audiences in new and dynamic ways, from cinemas to film festivals, outdoor events to online video-on-demand. At the heart of all its activities is the BFI’s central aim to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to the widest possible range of film and their own film heritage.
That heritage includes all time great British directors Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean and Powell and Pressburger; and the rich vein of documentary filmmaking, in which Britain led the world, including the lyrical work of Humphrey Jennings. The archive also boasts a significant collection of filmmakers’ papers as well as extensive stills, posters and production and costume designs along with original scripts, press books and related ephemera.
Expert teams undertake the time-consuming and complex task of restoring films at the BFI John Paul Getty Jr Conservation Centre in Hertfordshire. The BFI’s most precious film materials are kept in optimum conditions in the world-leading Master Film Store in Warwickshire.
Stills
A selection of stills for press use in connection with this story can be found at:
www.image.net/BFI/BFI National Archive/Whicker
Press contacts:
Brian Robinson, Communications Manager, Archive & Heritage, BFI
Email: brian.robinson@bfi.org.uk
Tel +44 (0) 207 957 8940
Mobile: 07740 171968
Judy Wells, Head of Press and PR , BFI
Email: judy.wells
Tel +44 (0) 207 957 8919
Mobile: 07984 180501
For press enquiries about Whicker’s World Foundation please contact:
Siobhan Connor CONNOR PR +44 (0)7966 177025 siobhan@connorpr.com
Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Baking Busy…Sooty, Sweep and Michelle Heaton battle it out in the kitchen for Sport Relief 2016
Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Baking Busy…
Sooty, Sweep and Michelle Heaton battle it out in the kitchen for Sport Relief 2016
Sooty, Sweep and Michelle Heaton battle it out in the kitchen for Sport Relief 2016
- The pie’s the limit for Michelle Heaton, but will Sooty’s cakes rise like a well-behaved soufflé or fall at the final curdle?
- Limited edition Orla Kiely apron for Sport Relief – perfect for those wanting to get messy in the kitchen
Roll up, Roll up, CITV’s Sooty and Sweep have collaborated with TV personality Michelle Heaton in the kitchen for a fun-packed photo shoot to raise some dough for Sport Relief.
The nation’s favourite bear has been ‘Izzy Wizzy’ baking cakes for a Sport Relief Bake Sale in a bid to inspire the nation to get their baking trays out and raise some money for Sport Relief. Meanwhile, Sweep has slipped on his boxing gloves to show his knockout support for Sport Relief.
Sooty and Sweep’s new look is thanks to designer Orla Kiely, who has created a limited edition apron for Sport Relief. The apron is presented each episode to the winner of ‘The Great Sport Relief Bake Off’ and is available to buy exclusively from Sport Relief official partners: brands-for-less homewareretailer, HomeSense, TK Maxx stores, tkmaxx.com and sportrelief.com. The apron retails at £12.99 with at least £5.25 going to Sport Relief.
Sooty, Sweep and Michelle Heaton battle it out in the kitchen for Sport Relief 2016
The nation has been inspired to join in the Sport Relief fun and games and host their own bake sales to raise money to help transform people’s lives both across the UK and in the world’s poorest communities. So if you’re a fan, the apron is the perfect way to ‘rise to the occasion’, supporting a great cause whilst baking yourself proud in the kitchen.
Sooty’s right hand man, Richard Cadell told us Sooty had whispered in his ear that holding a bake sale is a piece of cake and he and Sweep had loads of fun with their new friend Michelle, even if she was a little bit messy in the kitchen!
Michelle Heaton said: “I urge everyone to put on a pinny, get baking and throw a showstopping bake sale for Sport Relief. Baking with Sooty & Sweep was the icing on the cake for me! By purchasing this apron from HomeSense and TK Maxx you can help to transform people’s lives both across the UK and in the world’s poorest communities.”
Since 2002, Sport Relief has raised over £262 million. The Sport Relief Games will take place between Friday 18th and Sunday 20th March, bringing the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives.
The money raised from the apron will go towards helping people living incredibly tough lives. Half of the money raised by the public for Sport Relief is used to make a difference right here at home in the UK, with the other half used to make a difference in the world’s poorest communities.
Don’t miss out on your very own limited edition Orla Kiely apron from HomeSense, TK Maxx stores, tkmaxx.com, sportrelief.com and help raise money for Sport Relief 2016
-Ends-
Media Information
Individual images are available on request
For further press information and interview requests please contact:
Siobhan Connor at Connor PR / 07966 177025 / Siobhan@connorpr.com
Join the conversation
Facebook – @myHomeSense
Twitter – @HomeSenseUK
Instagram – @HomeSenseUK
#raisesomedough
#SR16
#GBBOsportrelief
@sportrelief
@Sootyandco
Details and Prices:
All profits from the sale of the apron and the tea towels will be donated to Sport Relief to help transform the lives of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the UK and around the world.
Apron £12.99 with at least £5.25 going to Sport Relief
ABOUT SPORT RELIEF
Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. Since 2002, Sport Relief has raised over £262 million. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, across the UK and the world’s poorest communities. It all leads up to the Sport Relief weekend and an unmissable night of TV on the BBC, broadcasting live from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Sport Relief 2016 will take place from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th March 2016. You can run, swim, cycle or even walk yourself proud at events across the country. There’s a distance for everyone in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games, whether you’re sporty or not. Find out more at www.sportrelief.com.
Comic Relief is a UK charity, which aims to create a just world, free from poverty.
Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1billion. That money has helped, and is helping, people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com
Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)
About HomeSense
HomeSense launched in the UK in April 2008 and has 39 stores in the UK. HomeSense operates a unique ‘off-price’ concept, which offers quality and branded homeware for less than the recommended retail price. These savings are passed on to customers through a combination of opportunistic buying, established relationships with manufacturers and simple, no-frills operation. HomeSense is part of TJX Europe, a subsidiary of TJX Companies, Inc. Find your nearest store and loads more information at www.homesense.com
About TK Maxx
TK Maxx and HomeSense are the official Sport Relief sponsors for the fifth campaign running and have raised £17.7 million since 2005 through sales, customer donations and staff fundraising. TK Maxx is a designer brands-for-less retailer implementing a unique ‘off-price’ concept which originated in the US. It sells designer and high street brands of womenswear, menswear, homeware, gifts and accessories at up to 60% less than the recommended retail price (RRP). TK Maxx launched in the UK in 1994 and now has over 250 stores nationwide. Opportunistic buying and a no-frills operation means TK Maxx can pass huge savings on to the customer. A typical store has over 50,000 items in stock and receives 10,000 new pieces, styles and colours a week, which means stock is consistently fresh. TK Maxx is part of TJX Europe, the European subsidiary of the US group TJX Companies Inc. For more information see www.tkmaxx.com
Orla Kiely
The creative world of Orla Kiely was founded in 1995 to express visually, her love of pattern, colour, texture and rhythm, which as components all play and work together. Once hailed as the ‘queen of print,’ she is world renowned for her instinctive graphic discipline to simplify and stylise everyday motifs and forms. With clean, orderly repeat constructions and a boldness of scale, her work achieves strength with a very modern quality, while her love for all things mid century creates charming, uplifting and instantly recognisable prints.
From a small collection of accessories, commissioned exclusively by Harrods following her graduation from the Royal Academy of Art, the range has grown to include a complete ready-to-wear collection as well as homeware and stationery. Through key collaborations, Orla Kiely has launched a perfume, designed sold out shoe collections for Clarks – an ongoing partnership as well as publishing two books – ‘Pattern’ & ‘Home’ which celebrating both her prints and her love for interior design.
Globally, the brand is gaining momentum with key stockists in both fashion and home. Orla Kiely has a number of shops through the UK and has grown significantly with global reach in New York following the launch of her collaborations with Uniqlo and Target.
The Orla Kiely customer is creative, intelligent and stylish. She is not afraid to stand out and does it fashionably. The combination of luxurious fabric and attention to detail leads to a loyal following including Kate Middleton, Kirsten Dunst , Keira Knightley, Alexa Chung and Emma Watson.
She continues to work with fashion contemporaries, Leith Clark, Liz Goldwin and Venetia Scott.
Orla Kiely regularly presents at London Fashion Week and continues to surprise and impress, her presentations reaching cult status amongst fans and press alike.
The Sooty Show
The Sooty Show is the longest running children’s TV show in the world. The iconic yellow bear made his TV debut on the BBC in the 1950s and is currently enjoying a revival in the UK, with The Sooty Show airing daily on CITV and on ITV at weekends. Sooty, Sweep and Soo, with their current owner and presenter Richard Cadell, perform to sell-out audiences in their live tours and Sooty the Movie is set to go into production this year. www.thesootyshow.com
Sports Personalities Bake Up Some Fun for Sport Relief 2016
On Your Marks, Get Set… BAKE!
SPORTS PERSONALITIES BAKE UP SOME FUN FOR SPORT RELIEF 2016
Seven of Britain’s favourite sport stars have joined together to swap their boxing gloves for oven gloves and tennis rackets for sieves in a fun-packed photo shoot for Sport Relief.
Two-time World Champion boxer Amir Khan; tennis coach and current captain of the British Fed Cup team Judy Murray; former England rugby union player Ben Cohen MBE; TV presenter Suzi Perry; former Olympic skier and TV presenter Graham Bell; Channel 4 Racing presenter Emma Spencer; and Olympic Badminton Silver Medallist and ITV Eternal Glory Winner Gail Emms MBE
For those wanting to ‘sport’ a new look in the kitchen, designer Orla Kiely has created a limited edition apron for Sport Relief. The apron is presented each night to the winner of ‘The Great Sport Relief Bake Off’ and is available to buy exclusively from Sport Relief official partners: brands-for-less homeware retailer, HomeSense, TK Maxx stores, tkmaxx.com and sportrelief.com. The apron retails at £12.99 with at least £5.25 going to Sport Relief.
Those championing the campaign are (pictured left to right): two-time World Champion boxer, Amir Khan who recently announced he will fight Mexico’s Saul Alvarez for the WBC world middleweight title on 7 May in Las Vegas; tennis coach and current captain of the British Fed Cup team, Judy Murray; former England rugby union player, Ben Cohen MBE; TV presenter, Suzi Perry; former Olympic skier and TV presenter, Graham Bell; Channel 4 Racing presenter, Emma Spencer; and Olympic Badminton Silver Medallist and ITV Eternal Glory Winner, Gail Emms MBE.
Since 2002, Sport Relief has raised over £262million. Sport Relief 2016 will take place between Friday 18th and Sunday 20th March, bringing the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. The money raised from the apron will go towards helping people living incredibly tough lives. Half of the money raised by the public for Sport Relief is used to make a difference right here at home in the UK, with the other half used to make a difference in the world’s poorest communities.
TV presenter, Suzi Perry said: “I’m proudly wearing my fabulous Orla Kiely Great British Sport Relief Bake Off apron from HomeSense and TK Maxx. By purchasing this apron you can help to transform people’s lives both across the UK and in the world’s poorest communities – so join in and bake yourself proud for Sport Relief.”
There’s no doubt that baking has captured the imagination of the nation. And the apron is the perfect way to ‘rise to the occasion’, supporting a great cause whilst baking yourself proud in the kitchen.
Judy Murray added: “Please shop till you drop and purchase this fabulous Sport Relief apron from HomeSense & TK Maxx stores. Designed by Orla Kiely, the aprons will raise cash that will help people living incredibly tough lives, here at home in the UK and across the world’s poorest communities. Together let’s make this the best Sport Relief yet.”
Don’t miss out on your very own limited edition Orla Kiely apron from HomeSense, TK Maxx stores, tkmaxx.com, sportrelief.com and help raise money for Sport Relief 2016
-Ends-
Media Information
Individual images are available on request
For further press information and interview requests please contact:
Siobhan Connor at Connor PR / 07966 177025 / Siobhan@connorpr.com
Join the conversation
Facebook – @myHomeSense
Twitter – @HomeSenseUK
Instagram – @HomeSenseUK
#raisesomedough
#SR16
#GBBOsportrelief
@sportrelief
@ConnorPR
Connor PR and Sport Relief 2016
Connor PR working with Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA) on the ‘Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine’ campaign
CHILD ABUSE SURVIVORS UNITE IN MUSIC VIDEO TO RAISE AWARENESS OF HISTORIC HIGH POWER PAEDOPHILE RING & CALL FOR A REINVESTIGATION INTO HANGED BOY, PETER DAVIS’, DEATH
LONDON, 24th November 2015: The victims of one of the world’s most horrific and high profile cases of child abuse will today unite to appear in a music video as part of a landmark venture to try and raise awareness of the high power paedophile ring, which included politicians, celebrities, scout masters, members of the Catholic church, that infiltrated more than 20 children’s homes in the Lambeth area from 1950’s – 2000’s. The “Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine” campaign aims to bring justice to the hundreds of victims that suffered at their hands, 12 of whom committed suicide, and lift a 100 year access restriction order on the victim’s files. Award winning author and chair of the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA), Alex Wheatle MBE, himself a victim of abuse at Shirley Oaks and now seeking justice, is hoping that the campaign will encourage more witnesses to come forward enabling police to reopen an investigation into 15 year old Peter Davis’ death, who was found hanged at Shirley Oaks in Croydon in 1977.
Written by music mogul, Raymond Stevenson, who discovered Jessie J when she was 15 and was himself physically abused going on to become the founder of SOSA, with input and melodies by X Factor / Alien Uncovered star, Temple Praise, the track is entitled ‘Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine’ and will be released in early December this year. The track features haunting testimonies from the victims. The video will tell the story of the true horror suffered by vulnerable young children during decades of abuse at Shirley Oaks and aims to encourage more people who have any information to come forward and speak out, so that police investigations can be reopened and Government can lift the 100 year access restriction on files for former Shirley Oaks residents. The video will be made available to download from the first week of December 2015 (date TBC) with all funds going towards helping SOSA track down victims from across the UK and around the world.
Raymond Stevenson, SOSA founder, said: “I have done many campaigns and they have always been motivated by personal circumstances and issues that blight communities. Maybe because I survived the hell of Shirley Oaks I believe it’s my duty to help others. I say this not just because I was a victim but there can be no greater crime levied at humanity than paedophillia. Then add that these were abandoned children in the state’s care already unloved and frightened, some already victims and others whose parents died. Then add the lies, the cover-up, the conspiracy and now we learn that this could have all been prevented. This video will enable victims to tell their story through a medium that cannot be tampered with or edited. The chorus in the song simply says, ‘you don’t know what they done to me’. The video will show the fear horror and abuse through art. A line in the song that asks the question, ‘what happens if it was your child?”
Amongst the alleged abusers are Jimmy Savile, as well as former Lambeth Labour councilors, Toren Smith and Susan Smith, who have been convicted. There have been two major police investigations into abuse at children’s homes in South London and a total of three people have been convicted of offences; one relating to Shirley Oaks, swimming instructor, William Hook, and the remaining two including Michael John Carroll who ran Angell Road children’s home and Les Paul from South Vale Children’s Home.
SOSA is demanding answers for one very specific matter – the sudden death of 15-year old Peter Davis in 1977, found hanged in a toilet with a cord around his neck. Following signs of sexual acitivy, a coroner ruled “death by misadventure“, but friends who grew up with him believe he was the target of paedophiles. Peter was the chief witness in a rape trial at the Old Bailey two years before he died where he gave evidence in regard to both his and his sibling’s rape. When the BBC looked for court documents from the time, they found that in 2003 they had been made secret for 100 years. Former senior detective Clive Driscoll said reopening the case would be a “great opportunity for detective work”.
Chuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham, who has constituents who are Lambeth abuse survivors said: “This is an important step for the campaign. I hope the excellent work that the survivors association are doing will help other survivors feel able to come forward and speak out. By the police’s own admission, previous investigations were ‘of the time’ and did not meet the standards we would apply today. The police owe it to the survivors group to reopen the investigation into Peter Davis’s death.”
The Metropolitan Police said officers looked at available material relating to Peter’s death in September 2014. A statement said: “In the absence of further new witnesses or new lines of inquiry, the matter remains closed. If new witnesses are identified who are prepared to provide police with statements that challenge the recorded decision then an assessment of that material will be undertaken.”
SOSA and Urban Concept’s1 research and on-going investigation is focused specifically on 1965 onwards when Lambeth took over the controls of Shirley Oaks. There have been multiple inquiries, most recently by the Metropolitan Police and Lambeth Council from 1998 – 2003, which cost millions of pounds, and resulted in the arrest of one paedophile from Shirley Oaks and two other paedophiles from other south London children’s homes. In the first eight months of interviewing over 300 children who attended Shirley Oaks and other South London Children’s Homes, Urban Concepts1 uncovered more than 16 paedophiles. When they discussed this with the Police their response was dismissive. A few weeks later Urban Concepts discovered a document produced by the Police and Lambeth Council which stated that 16 paedophiles died before or during the Police operation. This included one suicide during the trial in March 2003, 19 cases the alleged paedophile could not be identified and one case where the victim died before being able to give evidence. In some 11 cases the CPS took no further action and one case fell through after the suspected paedopile committed suicide during his trial.
Singers for the “Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine” campaign include 23 year old Millie from Essex, 21 year old Sophie from West Sussex and 21 year old Royal Opera House ballet dancer, Lucy from Stoke. The group known as ETHAMIA were selected based on their suitability to understand the subject matter and to empathise with the victims. When Urban Concepts1 played the track, the girls burst into tears and demanded to be part of the project. Taking their roles as ambassadors for victims seriously, the girls did their own research and went to Shirley Oaks and also accompanied the victims as they made a presentation to Lambeth council.
Principal crew for the music video will include: director, Giles Borg (Flutter, 1234, Home) with over twenty years of experience in music, film and television directing music videos, full length feature films, commercials and TV programmes; Jospeh Crone, a multi-talented fashion stylist and costume designer with a diverse list of clients and credits in the music, commercial and film sectors of the industry, from James Blunt to Dizzee Rascal, Investec to Innocent; and Ryan Jenkins, one of the UK’s most sought after choreographers, recently appointed creative director by UK government to represent and create work for Great Britain National day at Milan Expo 2015.
Choreographer, Ryan Jenkins, said: “This project has opened my eyes to the unimaginable pain and torture these people have experienced. It makes me so angry to know that nothing substantial has been done by those in authority. I want to help bring justice for these people. This is a story that needs to be told and the time is now.”
The Shirley Oaks campaigners are part of a wider phenomenon – a “survivor” activism that is changing the balance of power in relation to child abuse. Where once victims were ignored or silenced, now they are coming together through social media, forming support groups and building a crescendo of noise that the authorities are forced to acknowledge.
Lambeth Council is supporting the Shirley Oaks Survivors’ Association in their campaign to identify further victims and offer counselling to those who have not already received it but feel they would now benefit.
-ENDS-
Join in the conversation @ShirleyOaksSA / #ShirleyOaks
**CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS, RAYMOND STEVENSON AND ALEX WHEATLE MBE, ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW UPON REQUEST**
Connor PR working promoting Shirley Oaks Survivors Association’s latest campaign, Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine”