In summer 2022, the Education and Outreach department worked with a group of young people onsite at The National Archives, to make their own short films. This was the first time we had run a young person’s project at the archives since 2019! The young people’s films were inspired by documents from the collection looking at moments in LGBTQ+ history from the 18th to 20th centuries.
The National Archives has unique records that document the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities through personal stories of people and places from history. These records reflect a diverse range of identities and experiences; stories that the young people were able to explore and interpret.
The project week ran from Monday 25th to Friday 29th July. The young people worked with a filmmaking team led by film maker Nigel Kellaway, with additional support from The National Archives’ staff.
You can watch all of the finished films here.
By taking part in this project, young people were able to:
- Research LGBTQ+ history using original documents, with support from The National Archives’ staff and records experts
- Learn filmmaking skills with professionals from the industry
- Work creatively with likeminded young people
- Take part in a unique project that combines historical stories from archive records with modern day perspectives on LGBTQ+ history
With thanks to The Friends of The National Archives for their support of this project.
