McMaster grad half of pair behind PANTS
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/projectpants.jpg” caption=”Susie Taylor’s Honda Fit, in which she and longtime friend Robin Dehood travelled the country interviewing and filming individuals working for positive change in their communities and around the world. Photo via flickr.com/photos/38987734@N03.”]
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Susie Taylor wasn't entirely sure what to do with herself after graduating from McMaster in 2009. So she decided to drive across the country.
The 46-day autumn jaunt across the nation wasn't like most post-university travelling plans, though: Taylor, along with longtime friend Robin Dehoog, set out to film and interview people working for positive change in their communities and around the world.
The journey took them from Vancouver to Cape Breton, with stops in major (and sometimes not-so-major) cities along the way. The pair managed to interview a number of people doing remarkable things for others, including a man who flew a glider across Canada in an effort to raise money for children's camps and a group that harnesses the international popularity of soccer to help youth in war-torn countries.
“They're not always high profile and they're not always helping millions of people at once, but what they're doing is important nonetheless,” said Taylor. “They're average people doing amazing things, and we want to show people what they're doing.”
With the footage captured throughout their journey, Taylor and Dehoog created a short documentary titled The Philanthropic Advocates National Travelling Society Project – otherwise known as The PANTS Project – which will debut tonight at the Quai Du Vin Winery in Sparta, Ont., just outside of London.
The film features five interviews with individuals working for social change across the country. Taylor and Dehoog also interviewed average people on the street about what kept them from doing things to better their communities. They found that most people are simply afraid of failure or would be embarrassed by what others thought.
According to Taylor, the team plans to distribute the video as widely as possible amongst schools, youth groups, charities and others working in the community.
“We want to inspire people and get them to think,” she said. “And we also want to create awareness about change, to show people that they don't have to be afraid to work for something they believe in.”
The video has also been entered into the Pepsi Refresh contest, which is awarding grants for projects that have positive impacts on their communities. Taylor says that if they're successful in winning a grant, the money will be used to more widely distribute The PANTS Project film.
Quai Du Vin Winery will show the film free of charge in their outdoor theatre tonight at 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Taylor at thepantsproject@gmail.com.
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