Screening of “Weardale Past and Present” film

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Children as young as nine helped film this lovely piece about the rich history of Weardale screened as a ‘watch party’ due to the public health crisis. In future there will be a special event to mark their work with three generations of local people. It will also be shared online and be saved in Weardale Museum’s archive as a legacy of the project.

Digital Voice worked with dozens of people in the local community to document in film the memories and photos and share the rich history from before living memory.

The partnership with Weardale Museum, Stanhope Community Centre and Stanhope Barrington C of E Primary School brought people of all ages together to share memories and photos from the past. The museum has a rich collection of photos and artefacts and its volunteers have assisted with the project at every step of the way.

The project team met with older members of the community at coffee mornings at Stanhope Community Centre and Cowshill History Club, sharing lots of old photos and encouraging people to bring their own photos and tell their stories of Weardale’s past.

The Digital Voice team trained children from the school to film interviews with participants, which have become part of a beautiful and fascinating film. Digital Voice is very grateful to all the partners and to Northern Heartlands for awarding a grant for the work.