Following a commission from Dreamfusion Productions, YSP Media recently had the pleasure of being a part of Shine A Light, a film participation project for Over 60’s in Derbyshire run by Derby QUAD. Funded by the Esmée Fairburn Foundation and delivered by the QUAD in Derby, the scheme saw a series of short films developed by professional filmmakers from ideas generated within groups of participants engaging with the scheme through script writing and story.

Director Christopher Bevan briefs Seen Ya Rights on the day's filming

Working with Dreamfusion Productions and our production partner Top Box TV, we were assigned to work with the inspiring Seen Ya Rights, whose passionate journey to highlight the issues of dementia and LGBT care in older through film became the subject of our documentary. The film, ‘Seen Ya Rights - A Creative Journey for Change’ was produced by Belinda Basson of Dreamfusion Productions, directed by Christopher Bevan of YSP Media, working with Director of Photography Joff Whaite of Top Box TV.

Filming on the production began in July 2015 when we first met Seen Ya Rights and immediately we were drawn to their strength, activism and camaraderie, which set us on the path of developing what would become ‘A Creative Journey for Change’. Liaising with the group and QUAD, we began to tell the story of how Seen Ya Rights had formed through human rights activism and ultimately how they became a part of Shine A Light. After initially submitting their own ideas, the group had renowned director Christine Parker assigned to their group and after listening to their thoughts and concerns, she began development on her own short film The Carer which promised to address these issues.

Simultaneous Seen Ya Rights’ own script ‘My Secret Love’ was adapted into a stage production directed by Ava Hunt, and unexpected but very welcome outcome that allowed the issues of same-sex relationships in care and dementia to be debated and put across to a wider audience.

The full documentary is now available to view online above.

Having the opportunity to be able to tell such a wide ranging but impactful story, full of such important issues, was a real privilege and it was fantastic to see all of the Shine A Light films, including our documentary and The Carer, screened at QUAD in February 2016 where they received a tremendous reception. The documentary is now available online via QUAD and can be viewed here. It was a pleasure to be commissioned to direct this film by Dreamfusion Productions and we loved working with them and Top Box TV to bring this film to life.