SW!M TOO: Celebrating Swanage Swimmers’ Stories
Join us at The Mowlem in Swanage on Midsummer’s Day, as we celebrate the success of last year’s collaboration, SW!M, with a new live event! Wednesday, 21 June, 7pm.
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 performance of swimmers’ stories featuring conversations between new swimmers and older hands with a splash of music and dancing thrown in.
Steven Lake, Director of SW!M CLUB said:
“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.”
If you prefer to view the trailer for SWIM CLUB with Audio Description, you can do so here.
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, funded by Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund and Dorset Community Foundation . The event last year attracted a live audience of over 500 people. 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 .
SW!M TOO will feature:
● A large-screen-premiere of SWIM CLUB , an uplifting documentary about the making of SW!M by award-winning Swanage-based director, Steven Lake.
● A Q&A with the Directors of SW!M, Deborah Paige, Claire Hodgson, and the director of SWIM CLUB, 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, there has been a surge of new people have taking up swimming in Swanage Bay, inspired by the show last year. Performers on the day include mums, grandmas, aunties and friends, with familiar faces guaranteed for all attendees.
Deborah Paige, Trustee at The Mowlem and SW!M TOO Director said:
“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.”
Claire Hodgson, Co-Artistic Director of Diverse City added:
“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.”
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to dive into the fun – tickets are available now.
