Students from the International Film School at the University of Newport are shooting a short film and a series of adverts to back the campaign to save Gwent Theatre.BBC Torchwood star Gareth Lloyd is taking part along with other present and former members of Gwent Young People’s Theatre. The finished film and ads will have links to You Tube and can be attached to emails. It will launch on Wednesday (27 Oct) with the short ads at weekly intervals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9PkcVWJTVc Film producer, Peter Watkins-Hughes, a tutor at the Film School, gave Gareth his first TV lead role in Knucklehead, made for ITV Wales when he was a GYPT student. “Gwent Theatre has an illustrious record of producing fine young actors and supporting the creative arts in Wales. It’s a jewel in our cultural crown, “says Peter of Brynmawr. “To take away something so valuable to our community is being reckless with our history and our creative culture. “We hope this film project will be another little brick in the wall to save Gwent Theatre.” The campaign follows the Arts Council of Wales decision to withdraw funding from the company which takes theatre productions and workshops to 22,000 children and young people in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire and Torfaen. A crew of 20 third-year degree students were given just two days to complete the short film and series of five ads. Locations include the Drama Centre in Abergavenny and Ebbw Vale market where petitions were being signed by the public. Student editor Ian Morley said: “Everyone has to give 100 percent dedication and concentration to accomplish this. It’s great to be working in a professional environment and everyone at Gwent Theatre are being marvellous.” Gareth Lloyd is interviewed for the film and in the ad is seen dreaming of fighting aliens – a dream that came to reality in Torchwood. Peter, who lives in Brynmawr, says: “Our students go into the cultural industries of TV and film and its important they are aware of the realities and the landscape they are to work in. “They are experiencing the reality of making a film under real-time constraint at the same time as being very aware of how important the arts are to individuals and communities.” He praised Gwent Theatre for helping to support film-makers and other art forms: “They make things possible. Without them we would be culturally bereft. To think that my children won’t be able to experience theatre in education while other children in Wales can seems totally unfair. The decision to cut their funding is absolute lunacy. We hope sense will prevail and they will be re-instated.” |
| web site: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9PkcVWJTVc |
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010 |
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