Being in the presence of those who have ventured beyond our atmosphere is always a special experience. As our cameras rolled, we had the privilege of witnessing the convergence of bright minds and passionate individuals, all dedicated to the common goal of creating a better world through space exploration. Their stories, determination, and the spark in their eyes as they spoke about their journeys left an indelible mark on everyone at Harwell for the #RiseTogetherUK event

Here's a glimpse into the BTS…

In the depths of the world's oceans lies a delicate web of life, woven by coral reefs – nature's vibrant masterpieces. Yet, this intricate tapestry is under siege, facing threats that reverberate throughout the entire ocean ecosystem. At Luminae Collective, we had the privilege of capturing a story of hope and transformation through our partnership with SHEBA® and the HOPE GROWS™ programme.

In the heart of the Bahamas, a sanctuary of luxury and responsibility emerges – Rosewood Baha Mar. Our story is one of purpose and commitment, where opulence converges with sustainability to shape a world-class destination unlike any other.

Today more than 40 million people live in modern slavery around the world, and 70 per cent are women and girls.

The Studio_M Joined the Freedom Rising team, led by the incredible charity Freedom Fund on the ground in southern India earlier this year to document this powerful frontline movement led by women and survivors. Their resilience and passion towards this project was nothing like we'd experienced before.⁠.

Over the last few years, we have worked with resorts who have a shared vision for conservation and hope to inspire more action globally, one being Soneva in the Maldives who’s eco-friendliness is part of their DNA.

The #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign, headed by the Blue Marine Foundation and the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) at Six Senses Laamu, has so far convinced more than 25 percent of resorts in the Maldives to protect their seagrass meadows.⁠

⁠

We recently spent time in Nepal with @goodweave_intl @thestudio_m documenting stories associated with child labour within the rug industry. whilst on location we visited a brick kiln in Kathmandu where Goodweave is reviewing the better brick Nepal standard, which aims to address unfair labour practices in brick production in Nepal.

We recently had the pleasure of spending time Quilts for Kids in Nepal who’s mission is to provide work for economically-challenged women and to finance education for underprivileged children. The project employs women who create hand-sewn quilts incorporating found and up-cycled fabrics, giving them an opportunity to turn their traditional skills into income for their families and helping to eliminate child begging.

Fishermen sign up to the first reef fishing code of conduct in the Maldives. Shaha Hashim, BLUE’s Laamu Project Manager, celebrates reef fishermen signing up to a responsible fishing code of conduct, and reflects on why this is an important step for coral reef conservation, fishermen and sustainable tourism in the Maldives.

The contrast between the plastic-strewn beaches of local Maldivian islands and the pristine white sands of resort islands is impossible to ignore. In a nation with few municipal waste facilities and huge pressure on the limited available land, the sea has traditionally been a dumping ground. We met those who are pushing for serious environmental change by devoting their time and funding on The Northern Atolls to educate neighbouring islands about waste management practices.⁠

It is estimated that there are around 152 million children in slavery around the world.

GoodWeave is an incredible example of a non-profit organisation who don’t have the resources to create and disperse their own content. We feel passionate about creating imagery and video for these types of companies, as they work for an extraordinary cause and put so much time and effort in for free.

The Studio_M For Change initiative began as a personal journey to India, initiated by Ollie who wanted to head to India to capture stories of child labour. We decided that the upcoming World Day Against Child Labour would be the perfect way to bring our work back to our beautiful island community. We wanted to showcase our images and Will’s film, and thought: we have the perfect people and a great space, so why not host an exhibition right here, at our little creative hub of The Studio_M?

One of the only countries in the world to keep their fish resources at a constant, the Sultan of Oman banned trawler fishing and dredging 15-20 years ago. No close-shore commercial fishing is allowed, enabling villagers to catch the fresh higher numbers of fish in local waters.

Discovering that the Sambhar salt flats are the largest inland salt flats in India, we set out at 5am from the Sambhar Heritage Resort to capture the workers at sunrise. However, it turned out that they work the standard 9am-5pm... So we grabbed some more sleep and had a little snooze under a nearby tree, whilst waiting for the working day to begin.