Charity Archives - Rarebird

A Taste of Rare Bird Media

Ray Bird — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:47:02 +0000

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EOS 2016

Ray Bird — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 20:43:52 +0000

We recently produced two films for Scottish-based charity, Eczema Outreach Scotland (EOS). Over the course of a year, we documented the wonderful events and peer-support meetings that the charity hosts for all of its members, giving families the chance to have a fun day out, speak to dermatologists, and get to know other families who are suffering in the same way they do. They can share stories, tips, advice and meet face to face for possibly the first time, supplementing the closed facebook group that EOS supports for members. These events and sessions really prove invaluable for everyone involved, and it was a pleasure to document the work.

Our first film focuses on the peer-support element of the charity, with the Mitchell family as our case study in the film.

The hands were created by animating the EOS logo in After Effects, and tracing the movements in the original video of the children and superimposing them.

Our second film focuses on the Atopic Art project which was done in conjunction with ASCUS and two Scottish artists – Trevor Gordon and Josie Vallely. It is the making of an eczema inspired community art project, involving members of Eczema Outreach Scotland in partnership with artists and ASCUS.

Here’s some additional info from ASCUS’s site:

‘Atopic Art: Expressions of eczema’ is a partnership project between ASCUS Art & Science, Dr Sarah Brown and Eczema Outreach Scotland. The project first began in early 2015 with ASCUS commissioning artists Trevor Gordon and Josie Valley to deliver participatory workshops to families affected by eczema at venues across Scotland. From these workshops, and through further consultation with Eczema Outreach Scotland and their members, the artists developed new artwork inspired by the individual art created by participants during the workshops, and based around the theme of ‘living with eczema’. Trevor and Josie creatively incorporated the participants artwork into the final pieces, and worked beyond this to develop new ideas that reflected both the ideas that emerged from this process, along with works inspired by personal expressions of their own experiences of living with eczema. Together the works created by Trevor and Josie reflect both the emotional and scientific impact of the condition on sufferers.

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Gretna 100

Ray Bird — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 11:57:59 +0000

Back in 2014, we were asked by Active Inquiry and the Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust, to create a film documenting their social history project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the worst British rail disaster in history. Over the space of a year and a half we followed various theatre rehearsals with Active Inquiry and Strange Town Young Company, local historians, traced Royal Scots archives, engaged with Pilmeny Youth Centre, worked with Citizen Curator in creating an exhibition to mark the event, and spent a long time with researchers trying to find out more about the tragedy. In the end, we created a short promo film used in the exhibition itself called the ‘Tree of Life’, this longer 30-minute film called ‘Gretna 100’ about the arts project which Out of the Blue are using to promote the history of their building and their link with the past, and have entered another 30-minute film called ‘The Leith Battalion’ about the tragedy itself into festivals with the hope of reaching a wider audience.

On the 22nd May 1915, at Quintinshill near Gretna, the worst train disaster in British railway history left over 200 men from the 1/7th Royal Scots dead. This ‘Leith Battalion’ trained at the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street which later became the focus point for families looking for information after the disaster.

Working with Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust in this same building 100 years later, a group of community actors from Active Inquiry and Strange Town Young Company researched and devised a piece of promenade theatre, Persevere, which guides the audience around the Drill Hall and enables them to catch glimpses of stories of Leithers 100 years ago saying goodbye to sons and brothers, hearing the news of the crash and coping with the aftermath.

“difficult not to be moved and shaken by the profound sense of place, time and continuity conjured up by this fine 24-strong community company”
Joyce McMillan- The Scotsman – ‘Persevere’ review 5th June 2015

In addition, a group of community researchers worked with Citizen Curator and artist Jan-Bee Brown to research and curate an exhibition, Seven of the 7th, exploring the disaster through the story of seven soldiers who were involved. This exhibition also included The Tree of Life, produced in partnership with Pilmeny Youth Centre and artist Heather Scott, in which pupils from Leith Academy researched and helped to make a glass dog-tag for each of the 216 soldiers who died.

The Gretna 100 project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

[See image gallery at www.rarebirdmedia.com]

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Premiere of Gretna 100

Ray Bird — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 20:18:02 +0000

The first screening of the Gretna 100 film and a special work-in-progress film we have been working on will be screened at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall on November 21st at 6pm. This event is part of Previously… Scotland’s History Festival, running from 19th – 22nd November. Tickets are free from this link HERE.

WHEN
Saturday, 21 November 2015 from 18:00 to 21:30 (GMT)

WHERE
Out of the Blue & Drill Hall Arts Cafe – 36 Dalmeny Street Edinburgh EH6 8RG GB

A bit of background…

On the 22nd May 1915 the worst train disaster in British railway history left over 200 men from the 1/7th Royal Scots dead.

100 years later, Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust has developed Gretna 100; a social history project using theatre, storytelling and visual arts to explore the impact of this disaster on the people of Leith. Come and see two short films from Out of the Blue Drill Hall based film maker Ray Bird; one about the disaster and one tracing the Gretna 100 project. The screenings will be followed by a short Q&A with some of those involved.

For more information about the Gretna 100 project, please visit www.outoftheblue.org.uk/gretna100project

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‘Persevere’ press

Ray Bird — Mon, 25 May 2015 09:00:08 +0000

Ray Bird was recently featured in the Scotsman for the picture he took of the theatre show, ‘Persevere’, which is part of Rare Bird Media’s new film based on the Gretna Rail disaster which happened a century ago.

Click here for The Scotsman Article

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