WORK Records is an innovative collaboration between contemporary art and heritage, exploring historic working lives at three family firms in the East Midlands through archive collections at Derbyshire Record Office, Corby Heritage Centre and the John Smedley Archive.
Investigative teams of curators, historians, artists and volunteers have been researching the collections of three family firms over the last year: packaging company Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield; knitwear manufacturer John Smedley in Lea Mills, Derbyshire; and the Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks in Corby.
Three short animated films have been made in response to this research by artist-animators Saul Pankhurst, Kate Anderson and Kim Noce and, at this event, we will be premiering the artists’ films together with a documentary about the making of WORK Records by Derby-based filmmaker Chris Bevan (YSP Media).
Speakers include artists Kate Anderson and Saul Pankhurst, John Smedley Archivist Jane Middleton-Smith, and Composer Hutch Demoulpied, who worked with artist Kim Noce on the sound for her animation. The event will be chaired by Derbyshire-based curator, educator and writer, Camilla Brown.
BSL interpretation will be provided.
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.
