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Projects and Appeals > Scotland > Twecharwood

Twecharwood

Through a Trust-led project a group of young people in Twechar learnt the finer points of film making by creating a documentary of the history of their community, its links with the Forth & Clyde Canal and how this waterway is continuing to shape the future of the village. The group also took the opportunity to make a feature film, 'Dr Twechar and the Glowing Lens' and both productions were premiered at Glasgow Film Theatre as part of Glasgow Film Festival's Young Person's Film event in February 2009.

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 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 results which are quality productions.

Funders: 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.