NORTH DEVON MOVING IMAGE LAUNCHES BOAT STORIES FILM PROJECT

Local community film making organisation North Devon Moving Image (NDMI) is getting set to launch Boat Stories; a new project producing a series of short films about people whose lives revolve around the working boats of North Devon. Thanks to funding from the Northern Devon Fisheries LocalAction Group (FLAG), supporters of sustainable fishing communities in North Devon and Torridge, research on the films is starting this month. NDMI has teamed up with local film producer Jo Stewart-Smith who says: "I met Amanda from North Devon Moving Image by chance, on Woolacombe beach, where we were covering the same story – she was filming, I was writing.  When I saw her work I knew that she understood the importance of a good story in a film so I approached her to host Boat Stories." FLAG Programme Manager Jenny Carey-Wood commented on the funding award “The FLAG members were keen to support Boat Stories to increase understanding and awareness of the diversity of fishing and marine activity in the local area. “The awarding of £18,934 European grant towards this project will provide a legacy on film to record, inform and celebrate the local fisheries and working boats through people’s own stories.” As with all of NDMI's projects Boat Stories will take a close up look at the lives of North Devon people.  Jo explains "I think for many of us landlubbers there is a big divide between what we can see - the romantic boat out on the water – and an understanding of the skills needed to work on a trawler out at sea or cope with the tidal race and sandbanks while fishing in the estuary. I think there’s a disconnection between the fish we eat and knowing where it comes from and how. Hopefully our films will go some way towards closing this gap."Amanda McCormack, Director and founder of NDMI adds "We are really excited to be collaborating with Jo on the production of Boat Stories. One of our aims as a community interest company is to promote and encourage documentary film making in North Devon.  Jo will be working with local film makers on the Boat Stories project and we are really looking forward to seeing some exciting films made by our home grown talent."The Boat Stories series will be complete by Summer 2015 and the films will be shared on the North Devon Moving Image website.  To keep up to date with the project visit the news page on the Boat Stories website www.boatstories.co.uk, twitter @boat_stories and facebook page Boat Stories North Devon.

... and if you have a Boat Story to tell please get in touch with Jo by email: boatstories@outlook.com telephone: 07816815761

Photo: Jo Stewart-Smith copyright North Devon Moving Image NDMI (All Rights Reserved)

• Boat Stories website: www.boatstories.co.uk
• NDMI website: www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk

Greater Horseshoe Bat Project wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

Devon Wildlife Trust has received initial support, including £65,600 development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. The money will be spent over twelve months developing a longer term project which aims at securing a future for the rare bats, in their last remaining stronghold in northern Europe. Devon Wildlife Trust is leading the project's development which involves twelve other partner organisations. The charity's Conservation Advocacy Manager Peter Burgess said: "Recent decades have not been kind to the greater horseshoe bat. They have struggled to cope with a changing landscape and insensitive building developments. British populations have fallen by 90% in the last century, leaving Devon as a last remaining stronghold." Peter continued: "But this project is offering hope. Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund will allow us to plan the first stages of the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. It will allow us to support local farmers to farm in more 'bat friendly' ways, helping to maintain vital bat feeding areas and flight corridors." Greater horseshoe bats are one of 16 bat species found in Britain. With wingspans of up to 40cm they are also one of the largest. They get their name from the remarkable horseshoe-shaped organ on their noses, which the bat's use to navigate and find prey. Female greater horseshoe bats are highly sociable and gather in large maternity roosts where they bring up their offspring. Devon has 11 of these roosts making it the most important place for the bat in northern Europe. The roosts are located in man-made structures including quarry caves, barns and mines at locations including Braunton, Buckfastleigh and the Tamar Valley. One of the most exciting elements of the Project will be the central role to be played by local people. Peter explained: "It's going to allow us to work with local communities, to help everyone to find out more about the bats, and enable them to contribute to the project and gain a sense of pride in their local bats. A number of 'bat beacons' will be set-up that will be a focus for guided walks and trails, while new camera technologies will give everyone an insight into the daily lives of the bats. With hundreds of local people involved, bats - indeed all wildlife - stand a better chance of thriving." Nerys Watts, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: "Whilst not always considered to be cute or cuddly, bats are essential to our ecosystem and their dramatic decline in numbers clearly demonstrates the urgent need to protect and understand them. We're sure the Devon Wildlife Trust run project will be a great success and we look forward to seeing these initial plans progress over the coming months." Peter added: "Devon already has Europe's largest maternity roost of greater horseshoe bats. With this project, Devon could in future boast Europe's largest population of bat enthusiasts too." 

Greater Horseshoe Bat. Photo copyright Hugh Clark. (All Rights Reserved)

About the Heritage Lottery Fund Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 36,000 projects with more than £5.9bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk.

National Trust Commission “Tweet Music” : Celebrating the sounds of Spring

A leading UK beatboxer has vocally recreated the nation’s best-known songbirds to celebrate the sounds of spring and encourage the nation to get outdoors and experience nature first hand. The album of Tweet Music was commissioned by the National Trust after academic research found that listening to birdsong, one of the Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾, not only makes people calmer but boosts positivity. Despite this, almost one in five (19 per cent) rarely hear birdsong with 19 per cent of city dwellers regularly woken up by the noise of cars or planes. Beatboxer and vocal sculptor Jason Singh visited National Trust places for inspiration before creating the album, which features birds and wildlife including Blackbirds, Robins, Woodpeckers, Crows, Skylarks, Owls, Warblers, Buzzards, Frogs and Crickets. Singh explained, “I love the magic of spring, particularly at Tatton Park which I have been going to for years. When the silence of winter comes to an end, you can feel a real sense of change as the parkland erupts with noise, bursts of colour and new life. This is what makes spring so special for me and it’s this that I really wanted to capture in this project. “It was important to me that the bird calls and environments I recreated were as life like and authentic as possible, so it was great to work with the National Trust’s nature experts to better understand the flora and fauna of spring.” Listeners are set to find the new National Trust soundtrack a soothing experience after a recent psychological study found that natural sounds have restorative qualities. The study found the that birdsong and other sounds of nature like a running stream help people recover much quicker from stressful scenarios compared with the noise of urban living.

 Celebrate the Sounds of spring

Leading UK beatboxer, Jason Singh - Photo copyright National Trust (All Rights Reserved)

• Click here to download the free “Tweet Music” tracks, 
• Click here for 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾
• Find a Place to Visit with the National Trust