'I want to inspire our community': New Scalarama Leeds curator brings Akeelah and the Bee to Chapeltown

Seeing what the Scalarama DIY Film Festival achieves each autumn is enough to make any film lover want to step up and program their own event.

Built on a radical spirit of DIY cinema and community accessibility, the festival turns passion into practice - so who better to uncover what taking that first leap is really like than a first-time curator learning the ropes?

Enter Nattylyn Maddix-Butler, an adult care-lever who spent 12 years in foster care in Leeds and did not learn to read or write until after the age of six.

Selected in May 2026 for Scalarama’s 1-2-1 mentorship programme in partnership with Hyde Park Picture House, Nattylyn is putting her training into action this weekend under her independent banner, Ital Roots.

This weekend, she will host a special screening of the inspiring family drama ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ alongside an interactive community workshop at the newly refurbished RJC Dance studio inside the LCC Mandela Community Centre, complete with a brand-new projector and screening setup installed this summer.

The film follows 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson (played by Keke Palmer), an academically gifted girl from South Los Angeles who overcomes societal obstacles to train for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

For Nattylyn, who went on to study at Leeds Beckett University and Bradford College before earning a Master’s degree in Youth and Community Development, the film’s theme of educational empowerment mirrors her own journey. Her early literacy was unlocked by pivotal teachers who recognised her potential at a critical age.

Yet, stepping up as a first-time programmer in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis brings real-world challenges.

"It's been a challenging rollercoaster managing summer childcare," says Nattylyn. "Balancing parenting and an arts career with a day job is a growing challenge - even my celebrity childhood friend Corinne Bailey Rae and I were exchanging notes recently about managing tours, schooling, and teething!"

Beyond the personal juggle, Nattylyn is candid about the structural hurdles facing grassroots programmers trying to create accessible cultural spaces today.

"Scalarama's independence is what led me to get involved," she explains. "A lot of festival programming can lean towards scary or cult films, so I wanted to bring an educational family element to Chapeltown.

“But families are stretched with what they can get involved with and pay for right now."

Nattylyn continues: "National arts organisations recognise that venues and audiences are struggling due to the cost of living and changing habits.

“With families saving money for the 'back to school' period right after Carnival, offering affordable community spaces takes a lot of late-night planning, juggling, and hard work."

Despite the steep learning curve, the experience showcases exactly why festival mentorships like Scalarama and Hyde Park Picture House are vital for diversifying the region's cultural landscape.

"Growing up in the 1980s, watching a film in the living room with family inspired a sense of escapism and wonderment that became embedded within my self-healing," Nattylyn adds.

"I want to inspire our community to come together in a safe and nurturing environment."

Akeelah and the Bee plays at 6pm on September 12 at the RJC Dance Studio, LCC Mandela Community Centre, Savile Mount, Chapeltown, with the workshop taking place beforehand at 4pm. Tickets cost £8.13 (including entry to the workshop and complimentary snacks), with all proceeds going towards running the non-profit Scalarama DIY Film Festival.

Tickets can be purchased through the official Scalarama Leeds website.