A North Ayrshire youth-led film project is set to bring communities together as new film short Piece of Mind debuts at the Harbour Arts Centre this weekend.
Colleagues are invited along to the special screening on Saturday 13 September from 1pm. The screening will be 40 minutes duration followed by a question and answer session until 3.30pm.
A short film, produced by the same group of young people behind the previous short film Different Ways (2024), is due to premiere at the Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine, in September.
Piece of Mind is the most recent film created by the youth-led group based in North Ayrshire, ‘Next Take’. Following the success of Different Ways, a short that focussed on the experiences of young Ukrainian refugees new to Scotland, filmmakers Max McGregor, Archie Nelson, and BAFTA award-winner Daniel Kerr, were thankful to secure funding from Screen Scotland’s Screen Education Fund and North Ayrshire Council for a new project that would teach filmmaking skills to more young people through the hands-on experience of creating a short film.
As well as teaching young people professional skills, the project was designed to develop young people’s self-confidence and personal skills, says one of the participants, Oleksandr: “The value of those genuine friendships that I’ve managed to build, the hours of productive, insightful and respectful discussions, as well as light-hearted conversations full of understanding, support and encouragement among the crew members, is impossible to overstate. All of these helped me to overcome my anxiety and to become a more open, outreaching and communicative individual.”
Director Max McGregor said, “A priority for this project was to increase employment opportunities and to create a network of like-minded peers who will continue to collaborate and support one another as they move forward in what is a difficult industry to navigate.
“Doing this meant also building people’s personal abilities and experience over the course of the project, so everyone feels more confident in themselves for whatever their next steps in life are.”
“The long-form structure offers plenty of time for everyone to explore every aspect of making a film and find an interest within the process. Everything from planning and story development, through to technical roles and acting. It’s been heartwarming seeing the group’s community come together throughout making the film.”
The project was based in North Ayrshire, running sessions from Ardrossan Youth Centre and West Kilbride Media Studio on a near-weekly basis.
Participants came from across the Central Belt to produce the film, which was shot at locations such as Eglinton Country Park, Largs Academy, West Kilbride Parish Church, and other venues within Ayrshire.
The scale of the project was made possible thanks to many generous individuals and organisations that supported the production through access to locations and resources. This included funding from Vertex Visions, The May Lockhart Trust, and in-kind support from Kilwinning Sports Club.
Filming also took place in Dumfries and Galloway, as Wigtown serves as the exterior location for the fictional town of ‘Kilbron’, where the residents celebrate their divisive and historic annual “Day of Silence” festival in the film.
Since February 2024, more than 20 young people aged 16 to 25 – among them Ukrainian refugees and neurodiverse participants – have formed the core group driving the project forward.
The film was designed by the young people to explore the topical theme of perspective – showing how the same situation can be seen in different, equally valid ways – and encourages openness to differences and other viewpoints in a judgemental world.
The production included nearly 100 members of the public who took part as supporting artists in larger scenes, following the release of advertisements online and within Ayrshire College and Largs Academy.
While the premiere is invite-only, the group is currently planning several more screenings to take place at the Harbour Arts Centre, the Glasgow Film Theatre, Largs Academy, and in Bearsden to show the film to the nearly 180 people that were involved in making it and the public.
Stay tuned for a post-event news release.
Spaces are limited! If you would like to secure tickets for the event, please email: jenniferlaw@north-ayrshire.gov.uk who can provide next steps.
“The value of those genuine friendships that I’ve managed to build, the hours of productive, insightful and respectful discussions, as well as light-hearted conversations full of understanding, support and encouragement among the crew members, is impossible to overstate. All of these helped me to overcome my anxiety and to become a more open, outreaching and communicative individual.”Oleksandr – resident working on the film
Synopsis: Victim to a devastating raid, a village tucked away in the rural landscape of Scotland has honoured the loss and suffering of their ancestors through the annual ‘Day of Silence’ festival, in which the village stands in silence for 24 hours. However, in the modern day, an event that’s brought people together for centuries, is starting to drive them apart.