Secrets of Shipley's film past revealed
The fascinating story of Shipley’s connection to the development of film and TV is set to be revealed in an interactive film screening of A Taste of Honey, directed by Shipley-born writer-director Tony Richardson.
Research into Shipley’s connection to film and TV has been carried out by Bradford UNESCO City of Film as part of the Being Human festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place from 10-19 November.
The University of Bradford has been chosen as a ‘hub’ for the festival, with a special programme of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the BBC.
The work of Tony Richardson and his contemporaries, along with the significant role of new wave cinema and films such as Room at the Top and Billy Liar in the development of British cinema is also discussed in a podcast released by Bradford City of Film featuring Dr Mark Goodall from the University of Bradford.
The podcast also features special guest Iain Logie Baird, the grandson of John Logie Baird who invented the television set. The podcast uncovers some fascinating facts about early experiments with TV transmission which took place in Shipley in the late 1920s.
David Wilson, director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film and Fellow in Film at the University of Bradford, said: “It was such a pleasure to meet with Iain Logie Baird again and uncover these fascinating stories on the development of TV and the connections to Shipley.
“It was a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the output of films made in the late 50s and 60s by directors like Tony Richardson and their significance in the development of British cinema. I have a particular interest in the continuing development of global cinema in connection with my position as an appointed researcher at the Qingdao Film Academy in China and further connections with the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Bradford to bring all of the above elements together in a special screening event as part of the Being Human Festival 2022, especially as the theme this year is 'breakthroughs'.”
Participants will meet at Shipley Market Square at 6.30pm on Friday 18 November and be led to the film screening at the ‘Secret Cinema’ by a storyteller who will share the details of the town's key contributions to TV and film. Reasonable adjustments can be made for people who would prefer to meet directly at the venue.
Tickets for the screening are free but must be booked.
The festival is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the British Academy.
The podcast is available on the Bradford City of Film youtube channel and on Spotify.