It's Neurodiversity Celebration Week and we are delighted to be screening ‘Embrace’, a film project where young people in Shetland use their creative voice to share what neurodiversity means to them in a fun, honest and meaningful way.
The project was run by local artists, alongside professional agencies to support the creation of a film and resource pack that can be shared with schools and the community. We are delighted to be having a public screening to get their film shown far and wide.
In the film, twelve young people (plus siblings and friends), aged between 7 and 27, tell their stories and share what it means for them to be neurodivergent.
The Embrace film project took about a year to complete and began with the young participants meeting at monthly drop-in sessions at Mareel where they got to know each other and shared ideas for the film. The young people were involved in every aspect of the film including storyboarding, being filmed at various locations in Shetland, the editing process and the promotion of the film.
Through the film, the young people show us that we all experience, learn and interact with the world in unique ways. Their fundamental message is that of self-acceptance, they encourage each of us to Embrace who we are!
- Jane Cockayne, Project Facilitator.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences so we couldn't be happier to be showing the film in the cinema this week in particular.
Embrace Saturday 23 March 2024 1.15pm Mareel Screen 1
The Embrace film project was funded by Creative Scotland as part of the Culture Collective programme. Locally the project was supported by; Shetland Arts | Ability Shetland | Gary Docherty (Consultant Learning Disabilities Nurse, NHS Shetland) | Keiba Clubb (film maker) | Jonathon Bulter (film editor) | Lauren Bulter (animation and session support) | Thomas Cockayne (Sound recording/editing and session support) | Jane Cockayne (project facilitator and film producer).
