WHAT WE DID | FILMS

Our films chart the journey of participants, workshop facilitators and researchers through the course of the S4S project. They have been produced by R&A Collaborations and Nina Constable Media. R&A Collaborations use stop-motion photography to playfully capture the processes of craft work (www.racollaborations.co.uk), and Nina Constable is a documentary film-maker who specialises in environmental issues (www.ninaconstable.co.uk).

Film-making has been integral to our research activities, with the film-makers acting as co-researchers tasked with tracing the ways in which people think, feel and act about clothing after engaging in our workshops. We watched the films with our participants and held focus groups to discover their reactions to the films. Participants’ feedback indicated their emotional resonance with the films and the sense of collaborative achievement they experienced:

“It’s been a nice reminder of the journey actually and I think I probably will watch them to keep my momentum going myself” (West Midlands Participant)

Resolution – S4S Project Documentary Film

Resolution is a 22-minute documentary that charts the story of the S4S project. The research team talk candidly about their motivations and findings to a backdrop of video footage collected at our workshops.

Fluff to Fibre Dyeing reports on participants’ reflections on natural dyeing. They are amazed at the colours that can come from plants and insects.

Jack’s Jumper showcases one of our participants’ stories about the turning an unworn jumper into a beautiful cardigan.

The True Cost collates participants reactions to the hard-hitting fashion documentary of the same name. They are shocked by the messages in this “sweeping, heartbreaking and damning survey of the clothing economy” (CNN)

Skills and Value; Reclaiming the 1940s was shot at Black Country Museum. Participants give nostalgic reflections of the 1940s as footage is shown of participants’ engagement in vintage pattern-cutting.

The True Cost collates participants reactions to the hard-hitting fashion documentary of the same name. They are shocked by the messages in this “sweeping, heartbreaking and damning survey of the clothing economy” (CNN)

Hanny’s Workshops and the video of the same name involved the visible mending of ripped and stained clothes. Hanny talks us through what she did in her workshops noting how sensitive participants were to ensuring use of recycled materials. This raised her own awareness of sustainability issues and changed her practices.

Detergent Test reports the findings of a mini-experiment designed by participants to test the extent to which ecological, biological and non-biological detergents ae able to remove stubborn stains.

Follow on Projects illustrates that the S4S project does not end with the project’s funding. Participants continue to engage in their own making and mending workshops to share skills