Community focused projects
Working with community groups and organisations is by far my favourite kind of commission. Here’s a selection of films I’ve made with, for or about community groups and events, in North East England and beyond.
North East Speak Their Name Suicide Memorial Quilt (2023)
I made this film with a group of people from North East England who have lost loved ones to suicide. The North East has the highest suicide rates in the UK. The North East Speak Their Name Suicide Memorial Quilt was launched on the 11th November 2023 at Newcastle City Library and since then has been touring the region with the film exhibited alongside it. It is currently in County Durham.
Greenland Primary School's Sensory Garden (2019)
A short film about the new Sensory Garden at Greenland Primary School in South Moor, County Durham. Made for Randstad UK who funded the garden through their Best in Class competition.
Still/Breathing: Stories of Breathlessness for the Institute of Medical Humanities, Durham University (2018)
Still/Breathing is a 5 minute film made up of direct-to-camera interviews with people who experience conditions of breathlessness. The contributors discuss their experiences candidly, giving the viewer insights into how breathlessness can impact daily life. The film was commissioned by the Life of Breath research project to be displayed in-gallery as part of a reel of films screened within the Catch Your Breath exhibition at Palace Green Library (Durham) and on tour.
Life of Breath research project: http://lifeofbreath.org
Catch Your Breath exhibition: https://catchyourbreath.org
Blog post about the making of this film: https://catchyourbreath.org/making-still-breathing-for-catch-your-breath/
Open Doors, Open Minds | Van Mildert Outreach, Durham University (2017)
Film for Durham University’s Van Mildert College about their community outreach work. It was used as an integral part of their submission to The Green Gown Awards, which they went on to win in the Community category in 2017.
Making Faces | Bearpark Artists’ Co-op (2015)
A portrait of a long-running art workshop for adults with learning disabilities in Bearpark, County Durham. It is both a portrait of the people in the group and a portrait of artist who was drawing portraits of the people in the group. A portrait that is a reflection on making portraits. I hope you can see in the film the warm relationship I had with many members of the workshop - some established over many years of working with the group.
The Man Engine in Willington for Northern Heartlands (2018)
Commissioned by Northern Heartlands to document bringing the extraordinary Man Engine to Willington in County Durham and capture the response of the local community to the event.
Wild Times | Tow Law Community Association & Northern Hartlands (2019)
Wild Times (Summer, Autumn, Winter)
Wild Times: Late Spring, Early Summer
This series of films (four in total) was commissioned by artist Jenny Mountain to document the series of workshops on themes of art and nature she ran with school children in the Tow Law area of County Durham. Funded by Tow Law Community Association and Northern Heartlands.
Edinburgh Community Yoga Outreach (2015)
Film profiling Edinburgh Community Yoga's community outreach work with vulnerable and at-risk adults.
Killhope: Residential Outdoor Education Programme (2016)
Commissioned by Killhope Lead Mining Museum in Weardale to showcase their residential outdoor education offering to local school groups.
Say No To Consett Incinerator campaign film (2021)
A grassroots, community-led campaign for climate, health and economic justice in the Consett area.
United against Universal Credit (2018)
A short documentary-style campaign film made for Unite the Union and local Labour Party activists to highlight issues with the rollout of Universal Credit on the local community in the Consett area.