WORK Records is an innovative collaboration between contemporary art and heritage, exploring historic working lives at three ‘family’ firms in the East Midlands, through the collections at the John Smedley Archive, Corby Heritage Centre, and Derbyshire Record Office.
Three “investigative” teams of heritage curators, historians, artists, and volunteers, have researched working lives at knitwear factory John Smedley, packaging company Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield, and steel tube manufacturer Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd in Corby.
This event includes the premiere of three short, animated films by Kate Anderson, Kim Noce, and Saul Pankhurst, and a film about the project by Derby filmmaker Christopher Bevan. Speakers include two of the artists (Kate Anderson, Saul Pankhurst), and Jane Middleton-Smith, Archivist at the John Smedley Archive.
WORK Records is produced by Derby based Animate Projects, in partnership with the three heritage collections, Junction Arts in Chesterfield, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire, and the history team at the University of Derby.
WORK Records is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and is also supported by Arts Council England.
Suitable for adults
£10 / free to Derby Museums Friends
Photograph: workers at the John Smedley knitting factory in Lea Bridge, Derbyshire, 1927, courtesy John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust
