ANIMATION SHARES HOPE ON WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY
This World Suicide Prevention Day, PAPYRUS has launched Sinking Feeling – our brand new animation created in collaboration with the BAFTA Award-winning animation studio, Blue Zoo.
Sinking Feeling tackles the heart-breaking reality that many children and young people are suffering in silence without the vital help and support they need, according to PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.
We hope this animation will encourage more people to spot the signs and reach-in to guide young people away from thoughts of suicide.
The animation signposts to PAPYRUS and its HOPELINE247 service which offers confidential help and support to young people and anyone who is concerned for a young person who may be thinking of taking their own life.
Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of PAPYRUS, said: “This remarkable animation captures the overwhelming struggle of a young person who is literally sinking below the surface, weighed down, unable to function normally, incapable of keeping up and close to giving up on life.
“Sadly, in real life that’s exactly what many young people are experiencing right now. They feel sad, isolated, worthless, bewildered, in emotional turmoil with seemingly no way out.
“The film challenges me to reach-in when a young person might be distressed, ask how they are, to really hear them, to offer help and to assist life itself.”
The collaboration between PAPYRUS and Blue Zoo Animation Studio is timely as this year’s theme for World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Creating Hope Through Action.’
With the challenges that 2020 brought, now more than ever Blue Zoo have worked to use their talent and platform to help others so they reached out to PAPYRUS to lend their support.
More than 60 artists volunteered to help on the animation project which took four months to complete. The Blue Zoo choir remotely recorded an emotive rendition of ‘True Colours’ to accompany the film.
Director, Mark Spokes, said, “Working with PAPYRUS and Blue Zoo on Sinking Feeling was an uplifting and enriching experience, especially in the midst of lockdown. The film’s message is one that is close to my heart and I’m proud to be part of something that could save lives.”
Tom Box, Co-founder of Blue Zoo said, “As a studio it is our ambition to use animation to make a positive impact on the world. We couldn’t be prouder of how the team came together to produce a film that does that so beautifully.”
For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice please contact PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
