DOCUMENTARY

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Manx Youth Band and the 25th anniversary of Manx Concert Brass. The Manx National Youth Band was formed in 1970 by Jim Crosbie MBE. The band quickly developed a reputation for excellence and its success eventually led to the creation of Manx Concert Brass in 1995 for players over the age of 19. Now under the baton of Ian Clague MBE, the Manx Youth Band has nurtured some of the very best young musicians in the Isle of Man and provided generations of islanders with the chance to forge lifelong friendships and memories from their association with music. The influence of the band on the Isle of Man via their youth programme and the competitive success of Manx Concert Brass is undeniable. With their help, alongside the other bands on the island, brass has become a staple of Manx music culture. Produced by Dark Avenue Film with funding from Culture Vannin and the Department for Enterprise. Directed by Patrick Crellin and Bethany White.

On 4th April 2018, Manx harpist Mera Royle won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. This is her story. Manx musician Mera Royle started playing the harp when she was only nine. Another nine years later, she was collecting the Young Folk Award at BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards ceremony in Belfast. This film explores Mera’s journey with music, from playing the penny whistle as a child, to harp playing in young Manx folk band Scran, to winning the award and beyond. Mera’s music is part of the Manx folk and traditional music scenes which has grown significantly over the past decade. Hear from Dr Breesha Maddrell of Culture Vannin, an organisation with Manx culture at its heart, and Rachel Hair, Mera’s harp teacher of eight years, about how Manx folk music has grown and the significance of Mera’s contributions. Produced by Dark Avenue Film with support by I-Cap Marine. Directed by Patrick Crellin and Bethany White Director of Photography and Editor - Patrick Crellin Sound and Post-Production sound mixing - Bethany White Camera assistant - Jordan Perry Drone Footage by Charles Guard and Glenn Whorrall Photos from Awards by Phil Carter Visit www.DarkAvenueFilm.com

Lockdown meant rethinking a lot of things - for us, it was how we made films. In this series of videos, follow how we made our award-winning short film An Endless Summer across two countries, all whilst trying to keep it looking like it was made traditionally. In this first episode, find out how the project came about and the logistical hurdles we had to overcome to work out how to shoot the film. Thanks to Isle of Man Arts Council, I-Cap Marine Ltd and Beechwood Financial Management for their support and sponsorship of An Endless Summer. Edited by Phoebe Knowles

Lockdown meant rethinking a lot of things - for us, it was how we made films. In this series of videos, follow how we made our award-winning short film An Endless Summer across two countries, all whilst trying to keep it looking like it was made traditionally. In this episode, hear from actress Freya Kingsley about how she get involved with the project, her experience of lockdown and the challenges of shooting herself in a film - not to mention working with a baby! Hit Subscribe and ring the bell to see the third and final part when it’s released 🔔 Thanks to Isle of Man Arts Council, I-Cap Marine Ltd and Beechwood Financial Management for their support and sponsorship of An Endless Summer. Edited by Phoebe Knowles

Lockdown meant rethinking a lot of things - for us, it was how we made films. In this series of videos, follow how we made our award-winning short film An Endless Summer across two countries, all whilst trying to keep it looking like it was made traditionally. In this episode, hear all about our editing and post-production process as well as the release and distribution process, and all our festival success! Thanks to Isle of Man Arts Council, I-Cap Marine Ltd and Beechwood Financial Management for their support and sponsorship of An Endless Summer. Edited by Phoebe Knowles