FINALIST 2023
Concrete Doves is a short film that explores addiction and recovery, looking at the collective responsibility through a creative lens. Each frame is deliberated upon and the short visual indicators replicate the glimpses of life as we rush through it.
The making of Concrete Doves employs a form of co-production as a way of working together in the belief that people who have experience of a problem should be involved in creating the solutions to those issues. This creative work reflects our shared lived experience through metaphor, memorabilia & ourselves who are represented through the 'doves'. The film's establishing shot is with the doves in a cluster, feeding, and as the film ends, the 'doves' are scattered in flight. This flight conveys our individual journey once we realise agency over our own recovery while discovering and re-discovering who we are, combining the whole service provision in that journey, in the hope of reducing stigma and seeing the people behind the addiction.
Recent outside screening in the Streets of Somers Town in St. Pancras, called 'The Uninvited', covered by the Camden Journal to reduce stigma and encourage participation from local residents. CGL with 'The Peoples Museum' screened Concrete Doves on the walls of the local estate and other films created by service users together with an open mike night. Please see below Camden Journal coverage....
Trailer and other views on Concrete Doves and our workshops
The above link shows the trailer for Concrete Doves and the film workshop in action at the Damien Hirst Exhibition in Kings Cross. Using these kind of spaces to shoot our film engaged us in new ways with new perspectives on art, ourselves and the place we live. The joy of artistic expression can be seen clearly in this short snapshot of our creative development. Additionally please click the link of our first funky film which was our joint endeavour conveying how photographs can be used and edited together in a very short time to create a 30 second fun film. This inspired our group showing the ease of creative expression in its most basic form:
Our mission is to help people ...Change Grow Live is a voluntary sector organisation specialising in substance misuse and criminal justice intervention projects in England and Wales.
Our mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.
All of its funding is statutory-based. As of 2012 the organisation employed over 1,800 workers and was supported by over 250 volunteers. Co-production is part of the ethos of cgl which is working together in the belief that people who have experience of a problem should be involved in creating the solutions to those issues.
Please click the link below to see our first 30 second film consisting of photographs set to a colourful background. This inspired our group to enjoy the simplicity of this kind of editing. Service users and service providers joined in the experience developing a new dynamic. Engaging with each other in a piece of co-production enhanced our relationship with each other and used as a springboard of authentic treatment.
We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
