Just over 24 hours remaining until Unauthorised Absence film's goal deadline!
Chang-ers – YOU!- have really got behind the mission to make this film happen. Maddie and I are so grateful - and so are the amazing women behind the film. Here is a message for you all from Natalie and Jo:
To the incredible signatories on Maddie & Susan’s petition,
Hello - I am Natalie, I’m one half of the team behind the short film you have hopefully been hearing about, Unauthorised Absence.
I am writing personally to thank you all, so much, for your support of what we are doing. Collectively, the signatories of Maddie and Susan’s petition alone have raised nearly £2,000 to support the making of the film!!! Together, we have smashed through our first goal so every pledge is now safe, secured, and going straight into production.
We are aiming to raise a further £2,500 for costs by the time the campaign closes this Friday night, let's go!
Jo and I quite literally leaped for joy when we saw how you got behind us! Your support has been key to catapulting the project and its mission to national attention. It’s because of YOU as a collective that the amazing Special Needs Jungle featured a piece on what we’re doing, and Netmums posted about it to their huge audience of families.
This has increased the awareness and urgency about the inappropriate application of financial threats, fines, and prosecutions of the families of SEND (diagnosed or otherwise) children. It is truly a community-driven venture, by us, for us all; and we have proven that the collective force we have together is incredibly strong.
Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.
This whole venture began because Jo wanted to use her skillset, as a writer, to do something that will make a difference. Having been forced to leave her work and become a full time parent-carer-home-education-defendant(!) for 8 years and navigate the broken SEND system herself, she wanted to make those voices heard and motivate a change to the education system.
I (Natalie) came on board as a producer because I’d made a few successful short films alongside 10 years experience working as an academic mentor to students who were unable to be in mainstream education. Unauthorised Absence, our film, is about uniting the perspectives and experiences of everyone across the education sector, collectively coming together and using their skillsets, to foster empathy and initiate change. Jo and I could not sit by while this horrendous cycle kept happening to families over and over again, similar to the feeling that led Maddie & Susan to start this petition.
Our film's journey has taken us so far across the hearts, minds and office desks of some of the leading change-makers in the country: Academics, Psychologists, Paediatricians, Lawyers, Educators, Entrepreneurs, Campaigners, Charities, Unions, even an MP! We also have spoken with two Lords this month alone, with a third in the pipeline. While that is completely and utterly amazing to say, I say it to illustrate the power we have in this community when we come together. Remember, this is before the film has even been made! Just think of the impact we are going to have over the coming months as we go into production, let alone get to the stage of distributing it!
We want to everyone to feel as included and a part of the making of Unauthorised Absence as possible; so, we will always be available to answer any questions, and we will post updates regularly to both the campaign page as well as our social media.
If you are in a position to do so, please, please, do pledge towards the making of the Film. Good funding is absolutely vital to get this film made - and we are working tirelessly and with every waking moment we have to secure that.
Tell the people you know; it might make the difference.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natalielauren/unauthorised-absence
With our hugest thanks and good wishes,
Natalie & Jo
xx