Come and get involved!

The History of Our World in 10 Objects

Are you a senior citizen and would like to take part in free reminiscent and filmmaking workshop at St Johns Community Development Project 386 Clapham Road, SW9 9AR .

The free workshop runs weekly on Fridays 10-2 launching on Friday 17th September.

For more information contact Big Up Films 020 7733 8402 www.bigupfilms.co.uk or just come down and have a chat.

Big Up has had a very busy few months. We ran a project at the Charlie Chaplin adventure playground. The young people made a T.V show called Charlie Chaplin T.V. We will keep you posted about a screening date.

Over the Easter holidays we were commissioned by Slough Borough Council to run a film and music production workshop at the Britwell Youth and community project. The young people made a track about responsible dog ownership and are in the process of editing the music video. The screening will be held on May 28th and the finished film will be uploaded to utube, Slough Councils website and the RSPCA - Hillingdon's Facebook page.

Common Voices - Past and Present

Common Voices – Past and Present
An Oral History project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is now nearing completion. The project, which compares growing up around Clapham Common from 1948 to 1960 and in 2009, was undertaken by the Year 6 children at Bonneville School and local volunteers. A short film has been made of the project by Big Up Films. There will be a free private screening of this film for all participants and their partners at Clapham Picture House in Venn Street on Thursday 16 July at 10.30 am, followed by a free public screening at 11.30 am on the same day. This will be complemented by an exhibition in the cinema foyer. Places are limited so be sure to reserve your seat by calling 0871 704 2055 in advance.

Common Voices - Past and Present

Heritage Lottery Fund award for a Clapham Oral History project: Common Voices - Past and Present
‘Oral history is spoken history … But at the start is the voice, the original vehicle for the transfer of evidence from human memory to the world‘. The Oral History Society.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £38,000 to Big Up Films, a Clapham-based group of film-makers and arts educators, for an exciting project taking place from May to September 2009. The Common Voices Project’s aim is to bring together different generations to capture and compare memories and experiences of growing up around Clapham Common just after World War Two with those of children now.

We are keen to hear from anyone who wishes to take part by:
• Becoming part of a steering group to learn heritage and research skills at Lambeth Archives, attend two Oral History Society training sessions and help with interviews;
• Sharing their post-war memories of living in, or moving to Clapham, and
• Assisting in heritage-themed activities with artists to create lasting works for the community.

The results of the project will be shared with the community to celebrate their diverse heritage in the form of a DVD film accompanied by illustrations and a mixed-media map of Clapham to be created collaboratively by pupils from Bonneville Primary School and volunteers.

We will be holding a Project Launch event at Bonneville Primary School, Bonneville Gardens, London SW9 9LN on 21st May from 4 - 5pm.
Please come along to find out more and ways you can volunteer and get involved.
Bring along any photos, artefacts or mementoes of Clapham from 1948 on. With your permission these could be used in the project and preserved for the future with Lambeth Archives.

Commenting on the award, Tricia Holland, Project Co-ordinator said: ‘We are delighted that this award will enable and inspire different age groups to recreate a vivid picture of post-war Clapham compared with life today and learn a lot from each other in the process’.

For further information, please contact: Tricia Holland, Project Co-ordinator:
T. 0207 720 0695 or E. triciaholland@talktalk.net
www.bigupfilms.co.uk

We are currently in the process of organising our fundraiser. All the money raised will go straight back into Big Up Films and go towards upgrading our equipment. This is a exciting first for Big Up as we relie solely on outside funding. So look out for updates.

We have just completed a project at the Olive School and are busy with the final edit and preparations for the screening. We are also working on a project with the elderly users of the Alsen Day Centre. They are in the process of documenting their memorys and lives on film. It is a lovely project and although we've only been with them a few weeks we are very excited about the film they are making.

Big Up Films has had an exciting few months. We are busy working with the young people at the Olive School. Inspired by a 1950's documentary called "We are the Lambeth Boys" the class are making their own version that focus's on their own modern day lives. 

We are also waiting to hear whether we have been granted funding to extend the project. This will enable us to buy archive footage and allow us to research what the original Lambeth Boys and Girls are doing now.

We look forward to the finished product. 

On the 29th Dec we are off to St Laurence church in Catford to work with a group of teenagers on a drama. This 8 day project will as usual take the participants on the filmmaking journey from script to screen. 

2009 is going to be  busy year for Big Up and we are looking forward to working with a wide range of groups.

Starting at the beginning February we start a project entitled "Portraits" with the service users of Alsen Day Centre in Islington. We will be working with a group of elderly participants who will share there experiences, memories and individual stories however they see fit. These individual mini films will be edited together to create a patchwork quilt of film.

We are also in the process of applying for funding to work with the young people at the Melrose School, Charlie Chaplin Adventure playground, Broadwater School, Lanesdowne School so fingers crossed for us.

So far we have got through to the second round for Help a London Child, funding will go towards running a project at the all inclusive Charlie Chaplin Adventure Playground. We have also got through to the second round of the Big Lottery young peoples fund, to work on a year long filmmaking project with the students at Lansdowne School.

Keep an eye out for further updates!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Big Up Films blog site, please check back soon for news on our latest productions and projects.