New Towns, Our Town – Stories on Screen is an innovative film project that seeks to increase the visibility of, and pride in, the story of the New Town movement, and the unique social history and heritage of these pioneering towns. The project takes place in the first four of the UK’s New Towns – Stevenage, Crawley, Hemel Hempstead and Harlow – using rare archive film footage to explore the shared experiences of their residents.
New Towns, Our Town – Stories on Screen currently offers local residents the opportunity to engage with free screenings and volunteering. In May 2019, the project will go UK-wide, with teaching resources being made available to support using these films in the classroom, as well as a feature-length version premiering and touring across the UK.
Do you currently work or volunteer for a community group or centre in Crawley, Harlow, Hemel Hempstead or Stevenage? We are offering you the opportunity to book a FREE screening of archive film of your town, facilitated by our Project team. Scroll down for more information on each town’s film package.
Please contact us at filmhubse@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk to book a free screening.
Image credit: CRAWLEY – Green Line, 1980, Beryl Armstrong (Screen Archive South East)
The films promise to reveal fascinating insights into the development of the new towns, and possibly give you the chance to spot a familiar face
The Comet
Films
What we've already done
Raising awareness for New Towns, Our Town – Stories on Screen started in October 2018 with pop-up screenings taking place in Stevenage, Harlow, Crawley and Hemel Hempstead.
We also recruited and trained a team of local volunteers that have since January 2019 facilitated our free community screenings and collected testimonies from residents about their reactions to the films and their experiences of living in their towns.
What is coming up
If you work for a community group or centre in these four towns, you can book a free screening until the end of March 2019, facilitated by our team of volunteers who will be there to help you.
From May 2019 onwards, the project will go UK-wide with a feature-length national touring programme and educational resources being made available to support using these films in the classroom.
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