Actor David Tennant voices new Theirworld film on the power of education to unlock big change

Friday, September 24, 2021 

For immediate release 

Children have the power to transform the world – but first they need an education. That’s the message of a powerful new video launched today by global children’s charity Theirworld to raise awareness of the global education crisis.  

Voiced by the actor David Tennant, the film highlights the role of education in addressing some of the greatest challenges we face, from climate change to civil unrest. 

It opens with an image depicting the devastating impact of the global pandemic, before cutting to scenes of raging forest fires, droughts and people waving placards during street protests. 

“Somewhere there’s a five-year-old who can cure this,” says Tennant. “A four-year-old with a solution for this…A six-year-old who can make a difference.”

Shots of children learning then appear on screen before Tennant concludes: “But first they need the opportunity to go to school.” 

Theirworld’s film – made by the BBDO agency in New York, part of Omnicom – is designed to send a strong message to world leaders about the importance of investing in education during the post-pandemic rebuilding operation. 

David Tennant, the actor known for playing Dr Who and roles in Des and Broadchurch, said:  

“I hope that Theirworld’s video will send an important message to world leaders about the transformative power of education to unlock potential in children. Now more than ever we need to ensure that every child can learn and thrive, and to raise a generation who can protect our planet better too.” 

As leaders gather in person at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Theirworld is calling for bold commitments to ensure that every child is on track to be in school by 2030, fulfilling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 of providing a quality and inclusive education for all. 

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on children. At the height of the crisis, more than 1.6 billion children, including 767 million girls, were forced out of school. It is estimated that without proper investment in education more than 20 million children are at risk of never returning to the classroom. 

In particular, Theirworld is calling on world leaders to commit to innovative new ways to unlock billions of dollars for education, as set out in its Education Finance Playbook. 

In addition to fully funding the appropriate UN agencies and specialised global funds such as the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait, Theirworld is urging world leaders to back the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), a new fund designed to maximise funding from donors to help poorer countries invest in education. 

Justin van Fleet, President, Theirworld, said:  

“Investing in children’s education is a win for everyone – that’s the message we want to send to world leaders as they gather in New York this week. With a quality education, a child has the power to enact important change: they might go on to discover a breakthrough in the fight against climate change, become the next pioneer in poverty reduction or commit to standing up to society injustices.  

‘Every child deserves the opportunity to unlock their potential. It’s time for world leaders to act now to ensure that no one is left behind.” 

Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld, said: 

“Without proper investment, more than half of the world’s children won’t have the most basic skills they need to prosper in the workplace. It’s just not good enough, especially when we know that when a child is in school, they are safer, less at risk of child labour, trafficking, abuse or early marriage, or of simply facing a life without hope.” 

Omnicom partners with Theirworld as part of the UN Common Ground Initiative launched in 2016. Under this initiative, the global communications industry pledged to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Omnicom selected Theirworld having chosen to support SDG4 – to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. 

You can watch the film here.  
 
Notes to Editors  

For further enquiries, please contact:  

Nicole Martin 

Head of Partnerships and Media 

Mob: 07768 695 087 

Email: [email protected] 

About Theirworld 

Theirworld is a global children’s charity committed to ending the global education crisis.  

It anticipates, targets and solves the complex barriers keeping children and young people from education and opportunity. The organisation mobilises the power of campaigning, policy change and innovation to provide every child, especially the most marginalised, with the best start in life, a safe place to learn and skills for the future.  

Informed by breakthrough research and activated by an influential network of partners, Theirworld works with governments, businesses, NGOs, young people and campaigners to develop and deploy solutions to unleash the potential of the next generation.