In summer 2024, we worked with a group of 12 young people at The National Archives to make a series of short films inspired by archive documents.
The project took inspiration from the ‘Great Escapes’ exhibition, which explored the experiences of prisoners of war and civilian internees during the Second World War. From famous escape attempts, such as from Stalag Luft III, to forms of mental ‘escape’ through art, music and finding love, the young people discovered how the human spirit endures in desperately hard times.
The project week ran from 5th to 9th August 2024.
You can watch the finished films here. The young people worked with a filmmaking team led by Nigel Kellaway, with additional support from The National Archives’ staff.
By taking part in this project, young people were able to:
- Learn stop-motion animation film-making skills with a professional from the industry.
- Research the stories of individuals who sought both physical and mental ‘escape’, using original documents, with support from our Education team and record experts.
- Work creatively with like-minded young people.
- Take part in a unique project that combines historical stories from our records with modern day reflections on how we ‘escape’ from challenging times.
- Receive an Arts Award accreditation at Explore level.
With thanks to The Friends of The National Archives for their support with this project.
