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Camera bulbs flashed and the red carpet awaited twenty five young people in Tí Chulainn Cultural Activity Centre, as two groups who had taken part in the summer, ‘How to be a Hollywood Producer’ course arrived for their film premier at a glamorous black tie event.
Over the summer the two groups of young people, aged between ten and sixteen years old, took their first steps in the film-making profession as part of an innovative summer scheme funded and run by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, the Arts Council and the Department for Communities.
The scheme was the brainchild of a partnership between the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership and Tí Chulainn and was delivered by talented local media company Slack Press and artist Tracey McVerry.
The children were provided with opportunities to experience script-writing techniques, learned to design story boards, used Green Screen technology and discovered the world behind the camera from experienced producers, directors, camera operators and voice artists. They used these skills to create the pieces of film art. These short films engaged with the ancient myths, legends and stories of the Ring of Gullion and retold these tales for a modern audience.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick said, “This project is aimed to slow the loss of oral history in the area. It engaged with the young people and allowed them to discover and tell the ancient stories in a way that resonated with their generation.”
The films are available on www.ringofgullion.org and on the project’s social media pages as well on a limited edition DVD which was given to the families of the young producers.
