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With a call for daring heroes and an invitation to adventure, TRAFFIC introduces a heartwarming animated story on pangolins and the trafficking threat that imperils them in celebration of the recent World Pangolin Day (Sat 17 Feb).

The Astounding Secret Pangolin animation is based on the picture book of the same name by UK-based illustrator Jeanette Ward, and author and book designer Mary Hays. It tells of the pangolin’s scales being both an armour and a vulnerability; the reason it is sought by poachers and traffickers.

Pangolins are believed to be the most trafficked mammal in the world. Several species have been hunted to near extinction because of demand for the scales which are wrongly believed to have medicinal properties. TRAFFIC works globally to prevent illegal trade in wild species.

Animation, lesson plans, activities

The book was brought to life by Malaysia-based animator Faril Izzadi Mohd Noor for TRAFFIC’s Southeast Asia programme office, where he previously served as a graphic designer and continues to volunteer after leaving for the private sector.

The almost four-minute animation is tailored for young students and is designed to be used in tandem with English language and art exercises to showcase the many unique features that make pangolins special.

These lessons and a factsheet for teachers have been designed to help them broach the issue of poaching and illegal trade with a young audience, especially those that live in countries with wild pangolins or where the pangolin may be consumed.

Mary first had the idea of the picture book when she heard about the plight of pangolins and approached Jeanette to illustrate it. Inspired by TRAFFIC's work on pangolins, the duo donated the use of the book’s words and images to the organisation.

They worked with TRAFFIC’s Southeast Asia communications team to develop the animation and learning materials that encapsulate the wonder of the species and its fight for survival.

"In 2016 I was looking for an idea for a children’s story when I came across a Cambridge Museum of Zoology fact sheet on Pangolins. Astonished that I’d never heard of this extraordinary mammal, I wondered how to tell, in some respects, this devastating story specifically to children.

"It needed to be both factual and endearing, and I knew Jeanette would be the perfect illustrator for the task! Her attention to detail and sensitive, empathetic approach has perfectly conveyed both the unique charm of these creatures and their precarious situation. It's fantastic to see it brought even further to life with Faril’s gentle animation," said Hays.

"I loved developing the pangolin characters for Mary’s beautifully written and engaging story. It's wonderful working with TRAFFIC and to play our part in helping young people understand just how important and astounding pangolins really are,” said Ward.

Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia thanked Hays, Ward and Faril for their masterful work creating the stunning visuals and captivating storytelling, and for choosing to partner with TRAFFIC.

“We hope it ignites curiosity and interest in conservation, in young minds and educators alike,” she said.

Eleanor Hays narrates the video. She takes viewers through descriptions of the pangolin’s one-of-a-kind features and behaviour, the threat of poachers in the forest, and the call for “someone bold and someone caring” to make the forest safe again.

The illustration of a mother pangolin and its pup is inspired by the Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica. It is one of the world’s eight recognised species of pangolin and calls Southeast Asia its home.

The region is not only a major source and consumer of Asian pangolin species but also a destination and transit point for trafficked African pangolin species.

Since 2019, all pangolin species have been prohibited from commercial international trade. Despite this, criminal networks continue to source and traffic pangolins in alarming numbers.

During the decade from 2014 to 2023, more than 2,300 pangolin trafficking seizures were recorded across Asia. A total volume of 419 tonnes of pangolin parts was confiscated, comprising almost 48,500 whole individuals and 319 tonnes of pangolin scales.

https://www.traffic.org/world-pangolin-day

WynterCon: The award-winning comic con is back with a new town and a new venue

WynterCon, the largest comic con in Sussex, is back, with a new town and a new venue. Promethean Promotions is proud to present WynterCon XI, coming on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of September, 2024!

After entertaining thousands of guests over the past decade at Eastbourne's Winter Garden, WynterCon will be moving to the stunning East Sussex College - Hastings Station Plaza for what they promise will be their most exciting event yet.

Featuring full-sized movie props, animatronics, authors and artists, vendors, cosplay competitions, gaming, photo opportunities, their always-popular education workshops, and stars from stage and screen, there’s plenty to do for the whole family.

Event Founder Andy Kybett said: “WynterCon’s motto when the first-ever event launched back in 2013 was 'It doesn't matter what world you come from, you're welcome in ours’, and it’s just as relevant, if not more so, today. 

"I’m extremely grateful to East Sussex College for the opportunity to promote this message of inclusivity on a larger scale, and my team and I promise to stage an event that will not only do this magnificent venue justice but raise much-needed funds for a very worthy charity.”

Further information regarding the event, including details of the cosplay competition and special guests, will be released on their website and via their Facebook and Instagram accounts, so be sure to check back regularly for more details. 

Given the location of this new venue and the substantial interest from the college’s students, the organisers expect demand for tickets to be extremely high, so it's recommended that you buy your tickets early to avoid the disappointment of being turned away. Tickets for WynterCon XI can be purchased https://www.skycreativesussex.org/4aa9fd

The event aims to raise funds and awareness for Sky Creative Sussex. Sky Creative Sussex (Registered Charity Number 1178076) is an award-winning Arts and Education charity that champions eco-awareness and inclusivity. For more information on their mission or to help raise funds, click here https://www.skycreativesussex.org/4aa9fd

EVENT DETAILS

WynterCon XI

Date: Saturday 21 September – Sunday 22 September

Times: 09:30 – 17:00 (Saturday) & 09:30 - 16:00 (Sunday)

Tickets: Adults £14, Children £FREE - £12.50, Students £12.50.

Ticketing: https://wyntercon.onlineticketseller.co.uk/

Venue: East Sussex College – Hastings Station Plaza, Station Approach, Hastings, East

Sussex, TN34 1BA

(Image courtesy of 13936633 from Pixabay)

Expert judges hinder womens’ chances of winning music competitions

Expert judges are biased against women entrants in top international music competitions, but audiences made up of the public do not display this bias, new research from Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) shows.

Assistant Professor of Economics at WU, Dr Roberto Asmat, drew on new data to find that being female reduced the chances that an expert jury would rank a contender first.

The results of this research are important as the benefits of winning a prize are significant for early-career musicians.

Dr Asmat found that audience and expert judgements match only 38% of the time.

The study also found while winning a jury-awarded first prize does not predict future success in music competitions, winning an audience prize does. Audiences are therefore at least as good, and possibly better, at identifying quality than expert juries.

The research suggests that juries may be more biased due to their small size, whereas the larger size of an audience averages out peculiar opinions, a finding that is consistent with the empirical literature on the wisdom of crowds.

“While the question “what is high quality art?” remains unanswered, we add a further observation, namely that specialists are not always reliable adjudicators of artistic quality, and, at least on some dimensions, may be outperformed by the lay public”, says Dr Asmat.

The data studied covered 40 years and drew from 370 international music competitions in which both expert juries and public audiences chose a winner from a set of finalists, and the findings were published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

(Image courtesy of Bernd Everding from Pixabay)