Latest news with #MaryAnning
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Campaign for statue of British suffragette hero is hit by funding crisis
The campaign to commemorate the first suffragette to die for women's rights is facing a funding crisis. Mary Clarke, who was the sister of Emmeline Pankhurst, helped found the Women's Social and Political Union and suffered imprisonment three times. But she has been all but forgotten: there is no public memorial to her and she is not even among the 59 suffragettes named on the Millicent Fawcett plinth in Parliament Square. 'Mary was extraordinarily brave,' said Jean Calder, who is leading the campaign for a statue of Clarke in Brighton that will also be a memorial to women and girls who have died from domestic, sexual or state violence. 'At a time when domestic violence was condoned and divorce a matter of shame, Mary escaped an abusive marriage, during which she experienced destitution and homelessness,' said Calder. The Mary Clarke Statue Appeal has raised £20,000 for a work by Denise Dutton, the sculptor who created the Mary Anning statue in Lyme Regis. Organisers say a lack of name recognition for Clarke – the reason they want the statue in the first place – is preventing them reaching their £60,000 target. 'Mary was injured in the notorious violence of 'Black Friday' on 18 November 1910, later imprisoned for one month, enduring a hunger strike and, reportedly, forcible feeding,' said Calder. 'She died of a brain haemorrhage on Christmas Day 1910, two days after her release from prison.' Birgit Miller, cabinet member for culture, heritage and tourism at Brighton and Hove council, said that although the campaign had all-party support, cuts meant the council could not fund it. 'Remembering Mary is important because she dedicated her life – and ultimately sacrificed it – so women like me could have a vote,' said Miller. She believes Clarke has been forgotten because she died so early in the suffrage campaign. 'It was only those who had been following the fight since its beginning who would have remembered who she was,' she said. Professor Julie Gottlieb, who was on the panel advising which names should appear on Fawcett's plinth, said Clarke's was never considered, even though her sister Emmeline is commemorated along with her three nieces. 'Our priority was to be as representative as possible across all kinds of lines: demographic, political, ethnic, gender, religious and class,' she said. 'I think the balance that was struck was fair and successful.' Clarke's story, however, still has the power to inspire younger generations. River Isaac was seven when she read about the statue appeal in a newspaper. 'I had been wanting to write to our headteacher to campaign for better football facilities for girls but had been too scared,' she said. 'But then I thought how Mary Clarke had done all these things, even though she must have been scared, and decided it was no reason for not doing something.' Not only was Isaac's appeal to the headteacher a success but she and some friends then set up the Mary's Lamp group, asking Brighton councillors questions about women's rights and highlighting discrimination against girls in Afghanistan. Women are hugely underrepresented in UK public art, statues and memorials: excluding royals, there are just over 100 statues honouring a specific woman for her achievements. 'Visibility of women like Mary Clarke is important and we agree there should be a statue to celebrate her sacrifice in the campaign for suffrage,' said Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society. Brighton was the territory where Clarke campaigned before her death aged 47 or 48.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Mary Anning': Swiss Animation Unearths the Childhood Backstory of a Legendary Fossil Pioneer in Annecy Playing Feature
Mary Anning has been part of paleontology's history since its very beginning. Yet this inspiring character's childhood remains largely unfamiliar to the public. A self-taught English fossil collector, Anning began her journey in the county of Dorset, England, in the small village of Lyme Regis, where she and her family discovered Jurassic marine fossil beds, one of the first major paleontological discoveries of the 19th century. Her story as a young, dedicated fossil collector inspired Swiss director Marcel Barelli, whose own passion for paleontology followed him into adulthood. Backed by his long-time collaborator and producer Nicolas Burlet (Nadasdy Films), Barelli felt it was the right time to embark on the journey of making a Swiss animated feature. More from Variety International Animation Unions Plan Protest Against AI at Annecy Festival: 'Generative Al Do Not Support Artists, It Destroys Them' Global Constellation Unveils Ambitious Animation Slate at Annecy (EXCLUSIVE) Tencent Video Strikes European Deal for 'Blades of the Guardian' With ADN (EXCLUSIVE) As 'Mary Anning' makes its world premiere this Monday at the Annecy Animation Festival, Variety spoke with Barelli about his debut feature, his eagerness to share powerful child-driven stories and the state of Swiss animation, which has a long history but still struggles to achieve industry-level status. How did you start your animated journey? My mother always pushed me to draw, saying that with a pen and paper, you can never be bored. But I never thought of it as a profession. I've always been a huge fan of cinema, not necessarily animation, because beyond Disney, I didn't really see what else there was. It was only a little later, once I decided to stop my chemistry studies, that I realized I wanted to make cinema. By pure chance, I discovered the works of Swiss animator Georges Schwizgebel, and that inspired me to start my own independent projects. Mary Anning is your first feature, after 16 years of making animated short films with Nadasdy Films. What compelled you to take this leap? After many years and many shorts, my producer Nicolas Burlet told me, 'Marcel, it is time for you to do something bigger.' I am a cautious type, going one step at a time. This felt like the next step in my career. Paleontology is another of my passions, and Mary Anning is a major figure in that field. Yet in every book about dinosaurs, she is used as the 'feminine quota' even though she never actually discovered dinosaurs, but other fossils. So I knew her story since I was little. Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit her village and her home, which has been turned into a museum about her life and paleontology. Fossil collectors still walk the shores of Lyme Regis today, and I thought this might be a good story to share with young and aspiring scientists. Mary Anning has been the subject of adult fiction recently, but your film is aimed at children. Can you elaborate on that choice? I love that young character, and above all, I realized in my research that there aren't many real young heroes brought to the screen. Besides Anne Frank, there are no real-life stories about children. We see many fictional characters, but almost no biopics focusing on childhood or children who accomplished great things at a young age. Even a film like 'Hola Frida!', built around Frida Kahlo's youth, is a way to bring forth a well-known figure who isn't remembered for her childhood accomplishments. With Mary Anning, I thought there was potential for such a story. Children are often overlooked by history, but in recent years, they've taken more space in public debate and politics, with figures such as Greta Thunberg. Sharing this striking story, almost an anachronistic one, of a girl from a low social background shunned by the educated class, in an era where women had few rights, yet who still manages to fulfill her desire for freedom and knowledge, that spoke to me. I hope it can speak to many children today. Her desires often clash with the world of adults, especially the Reverend's strict views on women and science. Why was it important to depict this opposition? Part of it was a choice, and part of it comes naturally once you start writing. She's young, he's the oldest character. It also embodies the rivalry between children's and adults' understandings of the world. Children are more open-minded and ready to accept change, to be amazed and to grasp transformation without clinging to the status quo. As was pointed out to me, and even if that wasn't planned at the beginning of the film, we live in a world where even scientific achievements are threatened. It feels crazy to me that certain things are now questioned, and it's disturbing to see this comeback in some societies. Regarding the visual style of the film, how was your collaboration with artistic director and graphic designer Marjolaine Perreten? This is the first film I've made that way, as I generally handle all the formatting. But I consider my style a bit cartoonish and naive, and I thought it didn't suit a much bigger project. I wanted a style that better suited the subject. Since Marjolaine and I are very good friends and colleagues, I naturally thought of her. I'm delighted she agreed. As a filmmaker herself, there was no guarantee she could take the time for this endeavour. In the end, she created the Bible, designed the visual style, directed the artistic vision, monitored the sets and managed everything perfectly. Her style brings forth great children's worlds, reminiscent of literature and picture books, with soft, round designs that balance the harsh nature of these cliffs of mud and clay swept by storms. Thanks to Marjolaine's style, the film doesn't necessarily soften the story, but it soothes the setting and clearly signals the intended audience. Can you elaborate on your directorial choices? While writing the film [with co-writers Pierre-Luc Granjon and Magalie Pouzal] and building it with Marjolaine, I had three films in mind: 'Billy Elliot' for the spirit, 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' and Yasujirō Ozu's 'Good Morning,' which fascinates me for its rare portrayal of rebellious children in a domestic setting. Ozu has a unique way of staging and framing, especially for children, alternating wide shots and close-ups to convey emotion. For 'Mary Anning,' I opted for relatively simple staging, little camera movement, close-ups and profiles. This also stemmed from the lack of experienced animated feature teams in Switzerland. To manage with these constraints, we opted for 2D rigging and animated puppets in Toon Boom rather than traditional 2D. It's more of a TV series approach, but we tried to give the film a polished look. Industry people may notice, but I don't make films for the industry—I make them for the audience. These choices allowed us to focus on what mattered, without overreaching. In fact, if you remove the Belgian co-production from the credits—who handled rigs, mixing and voice recording—it's almost a short film crew. Very few people were involved, which kept the project at a human scale. The film's music has a striking uniqueness, rarely heard in children's features. What drove that rather 'punk' choice? It was one of the main debate topics during production. People love it, people hate it—and I love that it sparks such discussion. From the start, I wanted anachronistic music to match Mary's slightly punk rock style. I knew Shyle Zalewski's work as a graphic novelist and cartoonist, but I discovered their music by accident. I was quickly convinced. They sent me hundreds of tracks. I tried several, which were re-recorded, and I asked them to compose the end credits too. I don't know the exact musical terms, but we described it as punk, teen lo-fi rock—and I like it that way. Are there details in the film that people might miss that are important to you? Plenty, mostly nerdy paleontological ones. If you wait until the very end, you'll see the first-ever illustration of a prehistoric scene: Duria Antiquior, drawn by geologist Henry De la Beche in 1830, based on Anning's fossil finds. De la Beche was her friend and created the drawing to raise money for her research. There are many such details, like Ms. Philpot's drawings using fossilized ink, and other paleontological nuggets hidden throughout. What would you say is the state of Swiss animation today? How has it changed throughout your career?I can recount the history of Swiss animated features on my two hands, so bringing 'Mary Anning' to Annecy is a miracle. I've seen two trends: more talented artists emerging from art schools, but funding isn't keeping up. There's no longer enough support for short films like I made at the start of my career, or like Schwizgebel made. Recently, measures have been taken to reduce or limit access to funding. That's a real problem, not just for animation but the whole industry. Meanwhile, the number of artists and directors is increasing. If we want a real Swiss animation industry, we need to act. Not being in the EU limits access to MEDIA programs and international collaboration, making it harder to produce big projects like features. Even Oscar-nominated directors like Claude Barras still struggle. I think there's a lack of confidence in Swiss cinema from policymakers, not seeing the long-term cultural and economic value it can bring. With 'Mary Anning,' we succeeded. I hope we can do it again, with the same talented team. I love cinema, and I love sharing films with the audience, starting with my own children. I hope I can keep doing that for a long time. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Telegraph
The UK's best days out for dinosaur-obsessed kids
What is it about dinosaurs? In our very earliest years, we get familiar with these prehistoric reptiles and I'd be willing to wager that more UK pre-schoolers can identify a T-Rex than even a ladybird or caterpillar. Move on to primary school, and you'll find the kids confidently asserting the differences between a stegosaurus and a triceratops, and any farm park or theme park offering the chance to see these beasts in all their life-sized glory becomes a sure-fire hit. Fortunately, throughout most the UK you can barely swing a cuddly diplodocus without hitting a dinosaur-themed attraction. Here we have everything from dinoland walk-throughs, packed with animatronics and fun photo opportunities, to world-leading museums home to one-of-a-kind fossils and complete dinosaur skeletons. Not to mention the UK's fossil-hunting hotspots, located along our wiggling, crumbly coastline and offering the chance to find ammonites, shark teeth and even dino bones. So, where to start? Here's our pick of the best UK days out for dinosaur-obsessed kids. Fossil-hunting Jurassic Coast Dorset The rocky cliffs around the town of Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast are perhaps the most famous UK fossil-hunting hotspot. This was the stomping ground of world-renowned 19 th -century palaeontologist Mary Anning, who discovered the complete skeleton of a plesiosaurus here, and today yields relatively easy finds of Jurassic ammonites and belemnites. The best time to search is after a winter storm and the best places are the beaches of East Cliff Bay and Monmonth. To really get to grips with the landscape, book a guided fossil walk with Lyme Regis Museum, which last around three hours and include museum entry (adult £16.75, child £12.75, under 4s free, The Alexandra Hotel (01297 442010, has double rooms from £215 per night, including breakfast. Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is one of the UK's richest fossil sites, with fossils not only from a diverse range of dinosaurs but also the likes of crocodiles, turtles and flying reptiles regularly discovered along the coastline here. The kids will be wowed by a walk along the sands at Compton Bay, spotting dinosaur footprints scattered along the coast and maybe even winkling out a fossil or two themselves. To up your chances of a find head out with Wight Coast Fossils, island-born experts who lead hour-long walks along the beach, explaining the geology and helping families find their own fossilised bones and teeth (adult £5, child £3, The Albion (01983 755755, has double rooms from £140 per night, including breakfast. Isle of Skye Scotland Skye is unrivalled in Scotland for Jurassic fossils, with the beaches of Elgol on the Strathaird peninsula and An Corran on the Trotternish peninsula particularly fruitful places for a hunt. Call in to the small family-run Staffin Dinosaur Museum near An Corran for tips on what to look for, then head out onto the sands at low tide to see dinosaur footprints on the flat rocks (adult £5, child free). On Trotternish's western coast, older kids will love scrambling over the windswept rocks of Prince Charles's Point to check out Skye's newest discovery – a series of some 130 mid-Jurassic-era footprints made by a mix of carnivorous theropods and plant-eating sauropods. The Cowshed Boutique Bunkhouse (07917 536 820, has self-catering pods sleeping four from £80 per night. What to look out for Theme Parks ROARR! Lenwade, Norfolk The UK's largest dino-focused theme park has more than 25 rides and attractions, from the Raptor Contraptor carousel, which promises to have kids soaring like a pterodactyl, to the Swing-o-Saurus swingboat ride. Fill your day here with Jurassic-themed crazy golf, digging in the sand pit for dino remains, getting soaked in the splash park and tackling the high ropes course. Much of the park is aimed at kids around 4-10 but toddlers will love the interactive walls and floor games at Dino-Ville and clambering up through pterodactyl's treehouse, plus there's a section of the soft play area just for them. Adult: £12.95 Child: £12.95 (or free under 90cm height) Contact: Wensum Valley Hotel (01603 261012, has double rooms from £85 room only per night. Gulliver's Dinosaur and Farm Park Milton Keynes Get up close to life-sized Jurassic-era favourites in the Lost World of the Living Dinosaurs at this laidback family farm park. You'll take a boat around the dino enclosure, spotting the likes of diplodocus and T-Rex and can even ride your very own triceratops at the Dinosaur Rodeo. Kids over 90cm in height can also scale the Jurassic climbing wall, while those keen on living reptiles can meet snakes and lizards at the Reptile and Bug Centre. The rest of the park features farmyard animals (ponies, llamas, goats) and classic farm park fare such as tractor rides and mini diggers. Adult: £11 Child: £11 (or free under 90cm height) Contact: Horwood House (01296 722100, has double rooms from £79 room only per night. Dinosaur World, Ralph Court Herefordshire Are your kids brave enough to come face to face with a full-size T-Rex? Deep in the gardens of Ralph Court, life-size animatronic dinos with beastly roars – including T-Rex, velociraptors and brachiosaurus – stand ready to greet families brave enough to enter through the dino's mouth gateway. During school holidays you might even encounter a 'live' dinosaur and its keeper walking the gardens, while the most enticing of the many photo ops is the new T-Rex jeep experience, where a six-metre, tooth-baring dinosaur rushes towards you as you sit in a bright red jeep. The Abbey Hotel in Great Malvern (01684 892 332, has double rooms from £129 per night, breakfast included. Fort Evergreen Warrenpoint, Co Down, Northern Ireland Small, family-run and utterly charming, Fort Evergreen offers a packed day out for young families. Head off along the Jurassic Walk first, to meet life-sized all-moving, all-roaring dinosaurs including the large meat-eating spinosaurus, small but vicious-looking velociraptor and instantly-recognisable triceratops. Then get stuck into the Dino Dig, where the kids can turn palaeontologist and unearth fossils from a mighty T-Rex in the sand. There's also a vast soft play here (particularly great for under 3s) and plenty of modern-day animals such as fallow deer, donkeys and alpacas, as well as a giant wooden fort decked out with rope bridges, climbing walls, tunnels and swings. The Rostrevor Inn (028 4173 9911, has double rooms from £100 per night, breakfast included. Museums Natural History Museum London This renowned museum is home to one of the world's most important dinosaur collections and is ideal for older kids seeking to go deeper on all things dino. Here they can see part of the first T-Rex skeleton ever discovered, the first iguanodon skeleton known to science and the skull of a plant-eating triceratops, among hundreds of other incredible exhibits. With dino-obsessed children aged seven and above it's worth booking the out of hours tour, which gets you in to the gallery at 9am for an exclusive tour with a guide who can answer all their burning questions (adult £25, child £17), while the Dino Snores for Kids lets those aged 7-11 (and their families) explore the museum by torchlight and participate in interactive activities with palaeontologists before sleeping over with the dinosaurs (£85pp). Free entry Contact: The Queen's Gate Hotel (020 7584 7222, has double rooms from £170 per night, breakfast included. Dinosaur Isle Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is fertile fossil-hunting ground, with the most complete dinosaur discovered in the UK in the last 100 years found here at Compton Bay – and now on display in this family-friendly museum set above the beach in Sandown. The collection here is vast, featuring some 40,000 specimens, all of them discovered right on the island, and includes everything from elephant tusks to alligator teeth. You'll also encounter life-sized animatronics of the island's five most famous dinos: neovenator, eotyrannus, iguanodon, hypsilophodon and polacanthus, and there's always a qualified palaeontologist on hand to answer all your questions. The Royal Hotel (01983 852186, has double rooms from £146 per night, including breakfast. Stone Science Museum Anglesey This family-owned museum is home to one of the largest fossil collections in Wales and with children encouraged to touch many of the exhibits, makes for a relaxed intro to palaeontology. It's all the private collection of owner and geologist Dave Wilson and kids can touch a dinosaur egg, teeth and even poo. There are also life-sized reconstructions of parts of dinosaurs set throughout the two floors of the museum as well as dioramas showing how the earth developed and how dinosaurs evolved to help make sense of it all. The shop is also worth a visit, for fossils, minerals and crystals you can start your own collection with. The Trearddur Bay Hotel (01407 860301, has double rooms from £85 room-only per night.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dinosaur exhibition unearths region's history
A free exhibition that tells the story of the south of England, from Jurassic dinosaurs through to early humans, has opened. The University of Southampton's Hidden in Stone, which features a cast of Dorset fossil hunter Mary Anning's Plesiosaurus, can be visited at the city's God's House Tower for eight weeks. It showcases dozens of specimens from Lyme Regis in the west, across the Isle of Wight to Hastings in the east, and north into Hampshire. Exhibition lead professor Neil Gostling said he hoped it would inspire the next generation of scientists. University paleobiologists and archaeologists have been working with artists, including Anthony Hutchings, to transport visitors back across the past 200 million years of life, normally hidden in stone. Prof Gostling, who is an associate professor in evolution and palaeobiology at the university, said Jurassic marine reptiles like pliosaurs were "cruising the waters over what is now Dorset". "In more recent times, we see near tropical temperatures, with turtles and crocodiles in the water, large flightless birds, ancestors of horses, and hippo-like animals," he said. "In the last half a million years, another more familiar type of animal arrived - humans, and prehistory starts to become history, our own story." A full-size replica of the Kimmeridge Pliosaur skull – which featured along with Dr Gostling in the BBC special Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster - will be seen for the first time outside The Etches Collection of Jurassic Marine Life. Skulls of herbivorous iguanodontids, and carnivorous spinosaurs, alongside casts of ichthyosaurs and Anning's plesiosaurus will join the skull of a woolly rhino. Early human artefacts such as flints and worked bone, along with dozens of other pieces including shark teeth, are also featured. Karen Fawcett, a wildlife and paleo artist who created several bespoke sculptures for the exhibition, said she had to "extend" her knowledge of living birds, reptiles and mammals, to recreate the extinct creatures and "capture the essence of the real thing". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram. UK's biggest ever dinosaur footprint site unearthed Teeth reveal how dinosaurs roamed Bexhill Exhibition explores how birds evolved from dinosaurs Gigantic dinosaur goes on display at UK museum Colossal dinosaur heading for London display University of Southampton
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Southampton dinosaur exhibition unearths region's history
A free exhibition that tells the story of the south of England, from Jurassic dinosaurs through to early humans, has University of Southampton's Hidden in Stone, which features a cast of Dorset fossil hunter Mary Anning's Plesiosaurus, can be visited at the city's God's House Tower for eight showcases dozens of specimens from Lyme Regis in the west, across the Isle of Wight to Hastings in the east, and north into lead professor Neil Gostling said he hoped it would inspire the next generation of scientists. University paleobiologists and archaeologists have been working with artists, including Anthony Hutchings, to transport visitors back across the past 200 million years of life, normally hidden in Gostling, who is an associate professor in evolution and palaeobiology at the university, said Jurassic marine reptiles like pliosaurs were "cruising the waters over what is now Dorset"."In more recent times, we see near tropical temperatures, with turtles and crocodiles in the water, large flightless birds, ancestors of horses, and hippo-like animals," he said."In the last half a million years, another more familiar type of animal arrived - humans, and prehistory starts to become history, our own story." A full-size replica of the Kimmeridge Pliosaur skull – which featured along with Dr Gostling in the BBC special Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster - will be seen for the first time outside The Etches Collection of Jurassic Marine of herbivorous iguanodontids, and carnivorous spinosaurs, alongside casts of ichthyosaurs and Anning's plesiosaurus will join the skull of a woolly human artefacts such as flints and worked bone, along with dozens of other pieces including shark teeth, are also Fawcett, a wildlife and paleo artist who created several bespoke sculptures for the exhibition, said she had to "extend" her knowledge of living birds, reptiles and mammals, to recreate the extinct creatures and "capture the essence of the real thing". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
