44. Unauthorised Absence: Can a Short Film Change the Law? Jo Clayton and Natalie Lauren

In this episode, the podcast welcomes Jo Clayton and Natalie Lauren, the writer and producer behind the upcoming short film Unauthorised Absence.

"From lived experience to national action, Jo’s script inspires empathy & change for SEND children & families harmed by education policy"

In their first podcast interview, they discuss how the project first came to life, what initially drew them to the story, and why it felt like an important and urgent narrative to tell.

The conversation explores the journey of developing the film from its earliest idea to where it is now, including the creative breakthroughs along the way, the realities of developing and funding an independent short film, and the responsibility of representing sensitive themes with care.

Jo and Natalie also reflect on why the story feels particularly timely in light of the recent SEND reform white paper, and the emotional and social impact they hope the film will have.

They share what they’ve learned about themselves through the process, who they most hope the film will reach, and what they hope the lasting legacy of Unauthorised Absence might be.

There’s also a fun moment in the episode where the team put out a call for ideas for the films title track - so have a listen and feel free to send your suggestions in the comments!

* We at Mindfulness for learning would like to thank ⁠Square Peg⁠ — a grassroots, parent-led organisation working to better understand and respond to the school attendance crisis with compassion, inclusion and collaboration at its core. Through campaigning, research, advocacy and lived experience, Square Peg continues to challenge one-size-fits-all approaches to education and amplify the voices of children, young people and families facing barriers to school attendance. Their work is helping to reshape the national conversation around attendance, wellbeing and belonging in schools.

Find out more here: https://www.teamsquarepeg.co.uk/

Find out more about Unauthorised Absence here -

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natalielauren/unauthorised-absence https://www.instagram.com/unauthorisedabsencefilm/

https://www.facebook.com/unauthorisedabsencefilm

Find out more about Mindfulness for learning here -

https://www.mindfulnessforlearning.com/

Buy Sophie Smith-Tong's book, Teacher Autonomy Where Has It Gone and Why We Need It Back published by Routledge here - https://amzn.eu/d/0ggXV3X9

Learn more about the themes of the book here -

https://teacherautonomy.com/

This episode was edited by Ben Corbett