Cinema Nairn are proud to support the The
Scottish Waterways Trust in their hosting of the only Highland screening for an
inspirational new ‘Supersize-me’ style film documentary tackling the increasingly
fragile connection between children and nature, at Nairn
Community Centre at 7pm on Friday 6th December.
Naturalist Chris Packham and
brain scientist Professor Baroness Susan Greenfield are amongst the experts
making an appearance in the feature-length documentary which marks the launch
of the UK-wide Project Wild Thing campaign to get children away from computers,
television screens and plastic toys and back out into nature.
Appointing himself ‘Marketing
Director for Nature’ he works with branding and outdoor experts developing a nationwide
marketing campaign to get British children outside.
The Project Wild Thing campaign
is supported by The Wild Network. This collaboration of charities, corporations
and individuals* committed to getting children back outdoors, was established
by the National Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, National
Health Service Sustainable Development Unit and others in September 2013.
The
Scottish Waterways Trust, which is a member of The Wild Network, reconnects
adults and children with nature through projects along Scotland ’s rural and urban canals, including the
sixty mile long Caledonian Canal .
Any
money raised through the event will go directly to Project Wild Thing, Scottish
Waterways Trust’s public events on the Caledonian Canal and to a couple of
projects more local to Nairn – Wildthings and a new Nairnshire naturalists’
club.
Stephen
Wiseman, Scottish Waterways Trust Heritage Officer for the Caledonian Canal explains the importance of the
film’s message for Highland audiences:
“The Scottish Waterways Trust has teamed up with Project Wild Thing
because reconnecting Scottish kids with nature is a priority and this inspirational
film and campaign has the potential to develop into a huge, social change
movement.
Urbanisation and our obsession with video games, mobile phones and
tablets affects everyone, not just those living in our cities and large towns
and this generation of British children is more disconnected from
nature than ever before.
“Time playing outdoors has halved in a generation. Fewer than one
in ten children regularly play in wild spaces. More kids can recognise a Dalek
than can spot a magpie!
“The knock on is that obesity rates are ballooning and plummeting
child wellbeing measures tell a depressing story. Reconnecting children, as
well as adults, with the wild is critical and something we should shout about
because, as we know from our own projects, spending time in nature increases
health, happiness and wellbeing.
“Following the screening, we’ll open the floor to what I think will be a
lively and hopefully optimistic discussion about how we build on all the great
work happening already, understand what works and inspires and ultimately
create a real momentum for change - we’re working towards that along Scotland’s
canals but the opportunities are all around us.”
Project Wild Thing is currently
touring 50 cinemas across the UK
Further Information about the Screening
Venue: Nairn Community Centre
Date: Friday 6th December
Time: 7:00pm -9:00pm
Price: Adults £5, Children 10 -18 years
old go free
Tickets
available at the door
Further Information, Images and Clips
Ø Further information can be
found at www.projectwildthing.com; Facebook: projectwildthing; Twitter:
@wearewildthing
Ø Photos,
images and posters are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/99241742@N03/sets/
Ø
Film clips are available at http://vimeopro.com/greenlions/projectwildthingfilmclips
