In 2016, Fife Contemporary initiated the project ‘See Past and Look Forward’ with Fife Cultural Trust and Fife Museums Service in order to create interpretation for Dunfermline’s new museum (Dunfermline Carnegie Libraries & Galleries (DCL&G)) which would involve an artist working with local young people. Fife-based filmmaker Rob Page was therefore selected to undertake an artist residency at Woodmill High School, Dunfermline.
His brief was to work with a small group of senior pupils from the school, giving them training in filmmaking skills so that together, they could create short films that would become part of the opening exhibition (‘We Made It’) at the new museum. The subject matter of these films would be objects from the Fife museum collections which the pupils would choose themselves.
Rob worked with 7 pupils – 4 girls (Natalie Crawford-Smith, Phillipa Peffer, Kara Sanders, and Tara Vural) and 3 boys (Matthew Connelly, Lewis Pilkington, and Ryan Woods). Each made their own individual film and in addition, a girls’ film and a boys’ film was also made. Rob enabled them to learn about the whole filmmaking process from setting up scenes, actual filming, to editing and all gained valuable experience working with him.
Below are the films that were made. The first is a composite film that includes all the individual ones, the group ones, and short interviews with Diana Sykes (Fife Contemporary), Lesley Botten (Fife Cultural Trust Museums Service), and Sandy McIntosh (Rector, Woodmill High School). [Running time 33:53]
The girls’ film is called ‘100 Years of Toys’. [Running time 4:31]
The boys’ film is called ‘Dying Embers – A Mining Film’. [Running time 2:45]
Film by Matthew Connelly – ‘Dyeing Industries’. [Running time 2:40]
Film by Natalie Crawford-Smith – ‘Forgotten Memories’. [Running time 2:06]
Film by Philippa Peffers – ‘Trench Art’. [Running time 2:39]
Film by Lewis Pilkington – ‘Reversed Roles’ (Soda Syphon Fizz-O-Matic 3000). [Running time 2:18]
Film by Kara Sanders – ‘The Key to the Past’. [Running time 3:00]
Film by Tara Vural – ‘Roles Reversed’ (Whisk-O-Matic 2000). [Running time 2:31]
Film by Ryan Woods – inspired by a Roberts Radio [Running time 5:19]
