Coming to Middlebury's Marquis Theater this Sunday, May 17th...get your tickets now at www.mudtalks.org
Middlebury UndergrounD (MUD) is proud to present the local film premiere of the documentary short The Land, a work by Middlebury-based filmmaker, artist, radio producer and educator Erin Davis. Drop your kids off in the pop-up ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND!, grab a drink and screen a thought provoking film about a play space where children climb trees, light fires and use hammers and nails at will. Then join an interactive conversation exploring the belief that kids are empowered when they learn to manage risks on their own. We may even discuss what this could look like in our community…
"...Life changing - everyone go see it, parents especially."
Hanna Rosin, The Overprotected Kid, The Atlantic, April 2014
This next installment of the MUD Talks’ series is a unique, family-friendly event held at Middlebury’s Marquis Theater on Sunday, May 17th. The Adventure Reception begins at 11:00 a.m., with the screening and talk soon after. Children are welcome… but parents have the option to drop kids off at the pop-up ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND! next door… staffed by adults who will use the playwork philosophy to support kids in their own interactive experience. Space is limited. Fire not included. Oh… and the film contains some “adult” language.
The film short runs approximately 23 minutes, and features Lady Marjorie Allen, a landscape architect by trade and so-called “propagandist of play,” who pioneered the concept of the adventure playground amidst the new high-rise developments of Britain’s cities. Her advocacy for free and creative play spaces in the 1950s, accompanied by the mantra “Better a broken bone, than a broken spirit,” paved the way for similar play concepts in Europe and the U.S., including the inspiration for the Welsh playground The Land.
"A stunning piece of work." - David Plotz, Slate
The documentary The Land is currently touring the film festival circuit, touting sold-out screenings at the 2015 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, and the Washington, D.C. Environmental Film Festival. Erin Davis studied documentary at The New School & The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Her radio work has aired on NPR's All Things Considered, WNYC's Studio 360, WBEZ's Re:Sound, ABC Radio National, Australia and elsewhere. To support her documentary habit, Erin teaches courses in radio documentary at Middlebury College. Her favorite game is catch.
MUD Talks is a new series featuring inspiring people doing extraordinary things – both inside Vermont and with ties to it. It’s a fresh, visionary forum that hands the microphone to local artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators who are deep in the real world.
This MUD Talk is brought to you by Middlebury UndergrounD (MUD) and Bridge School, and is sponsored by the Marquis Theater and Aqua Vitea. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $6 for kids. Ticket proceeds will benefit Bridge School’s playground fund (http://www.bridgeschoolvermont.org). Full details and tickets are available online through www.mudtalks.org and at the door at the Marquis Theater on Sunday, May 17th.
For more information, contact Lisa Mitchell at (802) 388-4277, email lisa@epicureanpr.com, or visit www.mudtalks.org.
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