Exhibition - Beyond Development: Local Visions of Global Poverty

Stuart Platt: No Patter Merchant

Language is political. It grants or denies status and power. It creates the poverty of expression, creating a ‘cast system’ of language – a place of not being able to communicate or express yourself in your own language and having to learn/adopt another form of expression. This film attempts to use the wonderful words of Tom Leonard to highlight the poverty of expression and the colonisation of language. ‘Proper English’ is never political: discuss.

Stuart Platt has over 20 years experience producing and creating cinematic images for film and television, as well as composing music for them. He is also a photographer and journalist. His work has been played/broadcast/read/screened across most UK broadcasters and he has worked with film production companies around the world. Starting out as a photographer as a child, having been taught by his grandfather to take pictures since the age of 10, he moved into making films in his early 20’s. Stuart initially made dramas before moving into documentary. Independent projects are key to Stuart and he splits his time between larger funded projects and small independent ones. Always he tries to be involved with work that creates openings, inspirations and meaningful change for individuals & communities and the wider society. His passion for these things have taken him to work with individuals and communities across the globe in countries that include Cambodia, USA, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Mexico, Ireland as well as here in Scotland and the UK.