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‘Is Twecharwood the next Hollywood?’

Youth group shine on the silver screen

A group of young people from Twechar received the red carpet treatment yesterday (Sunday 8 February) when their film ‘Dr Twechar and the Glowing Lens’ and their documentary ‘So you think you know Twechar’ were premiered at Glasgow Film Theatre.

In an event that will rivalled the BAFTAs last night and possibly even the Oscars later this month, invited guests witnessed the first screening of their work. The group, based at the Twechar Healthy Living Centre, have worked tirelessly since August 08 with film maker Bash Khan, writer Alison Irvine, artist Maggie McManus and professionals from Impact Arts to create a fictional sci-fi film and a documentary charting Twechar’s history from the Roman invasion to the mining industry.

The project, the brainchild of The Waterways Trust Scotland, was delivered by Impact Arts who helped the young people capture the rich history and heritage of the former mining village in East Dunbartonshire. The project received £33,000 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Coalfields Regeneration Trust – Bridging the Gap Programme and was supported by British Waterways Scotland.

The 20 strong group did everything for the productions, from producing the script to designing and making the costumes. They operated the cameras, mixed the sound and edited the two shorts. The documentary, ‘So you think you know Twechar’ takes the viewer on a journey through the history of the village, from the Roman invasion to the booming mining industry that existed.

‘Dr Twechar and the Glowing Lens’ is a sci-fi drama about three young people who go on a camping trip in the woods and end up on the adventure of a lifetime – think of a Scottish Blair Witch mixed with some Braveheart and a Dr Who and Harry Potter influence thrown in for good measure and you are almost there. The film is full of popular culture inspiration, made by young people for young people.

The screening was aptly part of the Young Person’s Film Festival in Glasgow and invited guests, including members of Glasgow City Council were impressed with the end result which are quality productions.

Karen Moore, development director of The Waterways Trust Scotland knows the value of projects like these: “We are fully committed to supporting communities, particularly those in and around the canals in Scotland. Projects like Twecharwood are extremely valuable in so many different ways. This amazing group of young people produced work which is of broadcast quality. They have also learned new and possibly life changing skills during the project and they have left an important historical legacy for the area. We were delighted with this project and we hope to continue supporting similar initiatives across Scotland for many years to come.”

Sandra Sutton, community regeneration manager for Twechar Community Action has been keeping a close eye on the group over the past 6 months, she said: “This project has been a fabulous experience for all involved. The young people wholeheartedly threw themselves in to it and their hard work is clearly visible in the results. And since we now have the equipment and the skills this may not be the last time Twecharwood is in the spotlight.”

Impact Arts, a leading arts and regeneration company who work with people of all ages across Scotland and the UK, is particularly proud of the end product: “This was an impressive group, their enthusiasm, commitment, dedication and creativity was outstanding. We are all very proud of the finished products and we know they will be cherished for many years to come. To end it all with a Hollywood style screening is fitting to the quality of the work” said Rachael Arnold, director.

So who knows this Oscar style ceremony may be the first of many for some of the glittering stars!