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Famous personalities share their dreams to inspire children


Thursday, 7 July 2016

Steven Spielberg, Mark Rylance, Professor Stephen Hawking, Simon Cowell, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Niall Horan, Maisie Williams, Sir Richard Branson, Nadiya Hussain, Naomi Campbell, Dominic West, Graham Norton, HRH The Countess of Wessex, Arsenal Football Club, Buzz Aldrin, Sophie Dahl, Team GB, The Delevingne sisters, Dame Helen Mirren and a host of others have their dreams transformed into art to go on display across the UK

 

Inspired by the release of the highly anticipated film, The BFG, and the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth, director Steven Spielberg, actor Mark Rylance, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Professor Stephen Hawking and the Delevingne sisters are among dozens of high-profile individuals supporting a project to raise money for children across the world.

A new public art installation called The BFG Dream Jar Trail is launching in partnership with Unilever across the UK from tomorrow (Saturday). The unique trail has seen the childhood dreams and aspirations of 50 celebrated famous people transformed into sculptures by talented artists. The whimsical sculptures have beenplaced in giant Dream Jars up to six feet tall to form an art trail in London and across the UK for everyone to see for free this summer.

The trail is raising money for Save the Children to support their vital work in some of the toughest places in the world so that every child has the chance to make their dreams come true. It will also benefit a specialist nursing programme supported by Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. The jars are to be auctioned in collaboration with Paddle8 to raise money for both causes.

The film's Academy Award®winning director Steven Spielberg has dreamt of having; “All the sweets in the world but this child in a candy shop would have no ill effects from overindulgence”. Entitled ‘Sweet Dreams’, the jar has been designed by the director himself and will be on display in Leicester Square.

Spielberg said: “All kids deserve to have the chance to dream big so I’m delighted to be a part of The BFG Dream Jar Trail so that we can share our dreams together and support the work of Save the Children across the world.”

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall ‘s dream of sharing the magic of books has been brought to life by the renowned art director Michael Howells. The Duchess said: “The power of a good story is immense. It starts a voyage of discovery into different worlds that broadens and stimulates our minds. My dream is that every child learns to read and discovers the lifelong pleasure of books.”

The unique art trail, which has been jointly organised by Save the Children, the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, Entertainment One and VisitLondon.com and supported by Unilever, will be on display in London and other parts of the UK from 9th July to 31 August. The auction will launch alongside the film’s premiere on 17th July at paddle8.com/bfg

Among the places hosting jars are The Museum of Modern Art in Glasgow, The Lowry in Manchester, The Hayes shopping area in Cardiff and world-famous London landmarks such as Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, Leicester Square, Harrods, Emirates Stadium and The Shard.

The BFG tells the extraordinary tale of a young girl named Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant County. Together they embark on a marvellous and buckswashling adventure filled with snozzcumbers, dream jars, frobscottle and even the Queen! The mismatched pair form an unlikely friendship that will inspire enormous bravery in the BFG and give Sophie a taste of the family she dreams of. The film stars three-time Tony Award®, two-time Olivier Award, BAFTA and Oscar® winner Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant; Penelope Wilton as the Queen; Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s handmaid and introduces newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. It is released in cinemas on 22nd July.

Professor Stephen Hawking based his dream jar on the thoughts of an ancient Chinese philosopher, who questioned whether our dreams are actually reality – a question Professor Hawking says can only be answered if we understand more about the universe.

He added: “It is so important that everyone has the chance to dream, whatever their age and no matter where they live. I’m proud to share my dream about discovering the secrets of the universe and I am delighted that the money raised will give children everywhere the chance to make their own dreams come true.”

Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams’s, ‘A Whale’s Tale’, sees her dreaming of being tiny and swimming alongside a whale. “My dream is to be in my swimming costume underwater, when suddenly out of the blue comes a GIGANTIC SPERM WHALE. He swims right up to me and we are nose to nose. He’s huge and I’m very, very tiny, but we swim along together under the ocean waves.”

One Direction’s Niall Horan’s, ‘Dream Date’, shows him in a hot air balloon floating high with the girl of his dreams above the Irish countryside; “As a little boy, I liked the idea of floating above the trees and looking down on the world from above. Now I like the idea of having someone with me for the ride.”

Models Poppy and Cara Delevingne together with their sister Chloe, chose ‘Sisterhood’ as the theme of their dream: “We are strongest when we are together, our dream is that we will always be close and will support each other.”

HRH The Countess of Wessex has worked with Irish Artist Ryan McElhinney to bring to life her dream of a safe internet for children: “It is imperative that we shelter the most precious thing we have, our children, from the online presences that threaten to destroy their innocence and happiness.”

Other dream jars include granddaughter of the book’s author and writer in her own right Sophie Dahl’s ‘Happy Jumble of Life‘ Simon Cowell’s ‘For the Love of Animals’ actor Helen Mirren’s, ‘Dream of England’, businessman Sir Richard Branson’s, ‘Reach for the Stars’, former astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s, ‘Life on Mars’, Team GB’s ‘Believe in Extraordinary’, Dominic West’s ‘Home is Where the Heart is’ and presenter Graham Norton’s, ‘Monkeying Around’.

Initially 34 jars will go on display with others being unveiled in the following two weeks.

Tanya Steele, Interim CEO of Save the Children, said: “Changing the world for children means giving them the chance to dream. That’s why Save the Children works in some of the toughest places in the world to make sure every child gets that chance. We do whatever it takes to help children get the healthiest start in life, providing access to life-changing education and protecting them in times of disaster. We’re thrilled to be a partner of The BFG Dream Jar Trail because, through the money raised, we’ll be able to make sure that more children get the opportunity to fulfil their potential no matter how big their dreams are. Together, we can rewrite the story for children everywhere.”

Charlotte Carroll, Sustainability and Communications Director for Unilever UK, said: “We are excited to be supporting The BFG Dream Jar Trail to help inspire children to dream humungous and splendiferous dreams for a brighter future. At Unilever, we believe in creating a better world where everyone has enough food to eat and no child goes to bed hungry. Where every child lives beyond their fifth birthday and has the right to a happy childhood.”

*VisitLondon.com has a dedicated section enabling visitors to view the art trail map, share their pictures and discover the stories behind each Jar and location. www.visitlondon.com/bfg

-ENDS-

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BFG DREAM JAR TRAIL

Notes to Editors

 

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. For more information visit: www.savethechildren.org.uk

 

About Unilever

Unilever is committed to creating a brighter future and aims to unite and amplify the efforts of a growing community of people who believe it is possible to build a world where everyone lives well and lives sustainably. We believe there has never been a better time to create a brighter future for our children: a world where everyone has enough food to eat and no child goes to bed hungry. Where every child lives beyond their fifth birthday and has the right to a happy childhood. Where every home has enough water to drink and to wash, cook and clean, and where everybody can enjoy life today while protecting the planet for future generations. For more information visit: brightfuture.unilever.co.uk

About Roald Dahl 100

2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl – the world’s number one storyteller. There will be celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and squiffling surprises for everyone. Go to www.roalddahl.com/roalddahl100 to find out more and don’t forget to get ready for the world's biggest Roald Dahl birthday party on 13th September 2016 by visiting www.roalddahl.com/party now and registering for your free Roald Dahl party pack.

 

About Entertainment One

Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company’s diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.
Entertainment One’s robust network includes film and television studio The Mark Gordon Company; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; leading feature film production and global sales company Sierra Pictures; unscripted television production companies Renegade 83, Paperny Entertainment and Force Four Entertainment; world-class music labelsDualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning digital agency Secret Location.

The Company’s rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 100,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.

www.entertainmentone.com

 

About Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity provides specialist children’s nurses and family support for seriously ill children in the UK. We focus on helping children with serious, rare, undiagnosed or overlooked conditions, supporting both their medical and emotional needs.

There are currently 54 Roald Dahl specialist children’s nursesin postcaring for over 15,000 children in hospitals across the UK, with serious and rare conditions. Roald Dahl's creativity and determination helped to develop pioneering medical treatment and the charity also helps specialist children's nurses undertake research to invent new ways to improve care. Coping not just with a child's illness but also the unknown, puts immense strain on children and their families and direct helpis provided to families in financial need when caring for their child.

 

About London & Partners

London & Partners is the official promotional company for London, which owns and manages the official tourism site, VisitLondon.com. We promote London and attract businesses, events, congresses, students and visitors to the capital. Our aims are to build London’s international reputation and to attract investment and visitor spend, which create jobs and growth. London & Partners is a not-for-profit public private partnership, funded by the Mayor of London and our network of commercial partners. For more information visit londonandpartners.com

Save the Children contact details:

Steph Aldrich, PR Manager

+44 (0)203 763 0987

s.aldrich@savethechildren.org.uk

Entertainment One contact details:

Eugene O’Connor, Publicity Manager

+44 (0) 203 691 8535

eoconnor@entonegroup.com

London & Partners contact details:

Becka Cornell, Press Officer

+44 (0)20 7234 5737

bcornell@londonandpartners.com