TWO Glengormley High School pupils were among a group of 13 teenagers who helped The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) make a short film showcasing the talents of hearing impaired young people.
Year 10 students Katie McCormick and Daniel Witherspoon, who are both hearing impaired, helped produce ‘Flukey Finn’, which premiered at Storm Cinemas, Belfast on October 3.
Katie and Daniel also feature in the movie, which will now be entered int
o film festivals throughout the UK and Ireland to showcase the talents of the young people involved.
Flukey Finn was made during a film project organised by NDCS and funded by First Light Movies. A group of 13 deaf teenagers aged between 13 and 19 years worked with BBC Blast on the film project, learning a range of film-making skills including directing, script writing, acting for the camera, and costume and make-up design.
Katie, Daniel and the 11 other successful applicants were chosen for the project on the strength of their explanations about why they are passionate about film and what particular interests they have in the industry.
“The deaf teenagers working with BBC Blast were involved at every stage including acting, directing, making camera shots and editing material. The exciting project allowed them to come together and gain hands-on experience in a specialised industry, giving participants a taster in film production and maybe a foot in the door to their desired career,” explained Stacey Kilpatrick, Arts Officer at NDCS.
“Access to the arts is extremely important for deaf children. Deaf children are at risk of developing low expectations of what they can achieve in life and many think their deafness excludes them from participating in activities at school and at local clubs. The deaf teenagers had a chance to meet their deaf peers, share their interests in film and, most importantly, grow in confidence,” she added.
