Children of the Hoard Project is both a short film and an experiential educational experience designed to empower professionals working with children of hoarders by utilising art, film and workshops delivering practical tools led by Dr. Jan Eppingstal (Stuffology) and Catherine Gamble (M.Arts/Creator).
BACKGROUND: The Children of the Hoard art installation has powerfully demonstrated the hidden suffering of children raised in hoarding environments. Through a series of mixed-media components, including a hoarding dollhouse and personal narratives, this exhibition has fostered empathy and brought this often-shameful struggle into the public eye. The work is based on lived experiences and extensive research, highlighting the emotional neglect, social isolation and long-term psychological impact on these children.
Children of the Hoard Exhibit Walk-Through
SYNOPSIS: Eleven-year-old Tilly lives in a house overflowing with her mum’s accumulated possessions. Navigating the narrow goat tracks and ever-present clutter has become her norm, but the emotional weight of living the hoard, the shame, the isolation, the constant anxiety is a heavy burden. Inspired by online content creators who share their experiences an offer support, Tilly decides to create her own YouTube channel. Using a home-made dollhouse and a doll as her avatar, she shares imaginative coping mechanisms she’s developed.
Her videos are raw, honest and filled with a quiet resilience that resonates deeply with other children facing similar situations. Her channel ‘Tilly’s tidy tips’ becomes an unexpected lifeline for a hidden community, offering a sense of connection and validation that Tilly has longed for. The film follows Tilly as she balances her secret online life with the realities of her home, highlighting her courage, creativity and the power of finding your voice in the face of adversity.
Why this story? A short film is the ideal medium to capture the emotional intensity of this story. It allows for a focused, powerful narrative that can be universally understood. The Children of the Hoard project has already proven the subject matter’s ability to resonate with audiences and this film will expand that impact, making the invisible struggles of these children visible on screen. Tillys tidy tips channel shows a child modelling proactive resilience to find her own way to cope whilst helping others.
The film aims to:
FUNDING REQUEST: We are seeking funding to cover the cost of the short film production to be directed by well-known, locally based professional Director, Wes Greene, in association with Sunny Coast Showdown and Sunshine Coast Screen Collective.
IMPACT: Your investment will not only provide a life-changing opportunity for these vulnerable children but will also contribute to a growing movement to recognize and support the silent victims of hoarding disorder. By funding Children of the Hoard, you are helping to transform lives and turning unseen struggles into visible stories of resilience and hope.
Your support will enable us to tour this project and support an emerging artist to continue to contribute to the social justice art landscape.
https://chuffed.org/project/children-of-the-hoard
Thank you for your kindness, we greatly appreciate your support.
Catherine Gamble has a Master of Arts degree from CQ University. This art installation is based on her research and lived experience. Catherine is a published poet and has won numerous awards including - Emerging Scholar Award (Imperial College, London); Premier’s Sustainability Award, and has been shortlisted for Sunny Coast Showdown.
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