Last year, 53Two one of Manchester’s most exciting independent arts venues, teamed up with TripleC to create a Christmas advert on a minimal budget in the hope of delivering some Christmas joy whilst highlighting the lack of disabled artists seen on our screens.
The video received over 75k views by Christmas Day, far exceeding their expectations.
To follow on from their success, this year they are back with another festive advert that instead of promoting a product or organisation, is full of love, kindness and inclusivity.
52Two offers support for creatives in all disciplines from workshops, placements, opportunity and more, as well as supporting countless charities across the UK with mentoring, venue, equipment, tech support and other resources.
Throughout the pandemic, despite it delaying their move to their new fully accessible theatre venue, they have remained active through online workshops and Covid-safe studios across Manchester.
53two’s Manager Alexandra Maxwell said: “At the heart of 53two is working on projects that offer opportunities to all with a focus on diversity and accessibility. Working with TripleC on this Christmas project enables us to engage further with artists from the disabled community here in Manchester & offer opportunities working on creative projects.”
TripleC is a non-profit, community interest company that creates projects that break down the barriers faced by disabled people of all ages accessing the arts.
Co-creative Directors, Cherylee Houston (Coronation Street) & Melissa Johns (BBC’s LIFE), of TriplceC, said: “2020 has been a tough year for many of us and extremely so for the disabled community.
“We wanted to ensure that disabled artists could still access a space that brings everyone together even though we can’t be in the same room.”
They added: “TripleC’s ethos is ‘Never Leave Anyone Behind” and we hope that message comes across in this year’s advert.”
The advert itself remains a surprise until it is released, however, viewers can expect a heart-warming message that follows the lead character portrayed by ten-year-old Amelia Eldred.
Amelia was diagnosed with osteosarcoma tumour in her left femur on her 7th birthday after her leg ‘swelled’ during a sports club activity. After two rounds of chemotherapy, the tumour had not shrunk, so she was given rotationplasty surgery. Amelia uses a prosthetic and is determined to achieve her dreams.
She is passionate about proving hard work can get you anywhere. Speaking on the project Amelia said: “This is amazing, I’m so excited about performing and showing people what I can do. I’m feeling like Christmas has come early and I can’t wait to film the advert.”
Full cast in order of appearance:
- Amelia Eldred
- Daniel Jillings
- Elijah Dallen
- Bill Blackwood
- Krissi Bohn
You can catch the advert from December 1st on their socials. Follow 53Two and TripleC
