The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage, UK – The Mowlem Theatre and Diverse City are proud to announce a red carpet screening of SWIM CLUB – a short documentary followed by SW!M TOO, a premiere performance of swimmers’ stories featuring conversations between new swimmers and older hands with a splash of music and dancing thrown in.
SW!M TOO is part of the legacy of the highly successful SW!M, a collaboration between The Mowlem Theatre and Diverse City in 2022, having been awarded £9,995 from the Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund and Dorset Community Foundation to ensure that creativity played a vital role in local community celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The event attracted a live audience of over 500.
To mark the anniversary of this game-changing event, the Mowlem Theatre has invited the original SW!M team to present SW!M TOO on June 21st, 2023, consisting of:
- A large-screen-premiere of SWIM CLUB, a specially commissioned documentary by award-winning Swanage-based director Steven Lake.
- Q&A by the Directors Deborah Paige, Claire Hodgson and Steven Lake
- A brand-new version of ‘In Our Own Words’ – stories created from conversations between new and more seasoned swimmers about how sea swimming has changed their lives, performed by women swimmers on the Mowlem stage.
- A guest appearance from the well-loved Allsort’d Choir, who will also provide signing throughout the live performance.
Since SW!M, a wave of new people have taken up swimming in Swanage Bay. Through both a result of the original performance and word of mouth, the numbers have swelled over recent months – which the organisers say is a testament to the group’s inclusivity. Performers on the day include mums, grandmas, aunties and friends, with familiar faces guaranteed for all attendees.
Quote from Deborah Paige, Trustee at The Mowlem and SW!M TOO Director
“I know from personal experience that many women have gained friendship, strength and the power to change their lives through forming a relationship with the Swanage swimming community. In turn, they themselves have become role models. Through telling their stories, SW!M TOO aims to celebrate the positive effect this has had on individual swimmers, their families, and the wider community.”
Quote from Claire Hodgson, Co-Artistic Director at Diverse City
“The ground-breaking way that British Sign Language and captions have been embedded into the film, together with optional audio description, demonstrates our determination to be inclusive, particularly for those visually impaired, deaf and hearing impaired. We want to make films that are accessible to everyone.”
Quote from Steven Lake, Director SW!M CLUB
“My work takes me all over and never did I imagine I’d get to return to the Purbecks where I grew up to make such a special and considered film. The Swanage sea side holds such an important place in my heart, blending this nostalgia with my fierce love of swimming in the elements Swim Club was a dream come true to create.”
In 2022 The Mowlem Institute Trust released its Business Plan titled ‘Planning for Change’, tackling subject areas including; the history of the Trust, where it is today, organisational change, governance, funding, re-imagining the building on Shore Road and its aims to work with and support the local community. The Trust is delighted to once again welcome the Swanage Sea Swimmers back to the stage for SW!M TOO.
More information, including the entire Business Plan ‘Planning for change’, can be downloaded via https://www.themowlem.com/businessplan.
