“Herefordshire in the Great War” Film Project

Six of our finest Extended Diploma in Art & Design second year students are taking part in a collaborative project to create a short documentary film that reflects the learning journey of a group of Year 9 Hereford Academy pupils who have been learning about life in Herefordshire during the First World War.

So far the students have taken part in Archaeological research at Credenhill talking to Archaeologist Chris Atkinson, done some archive research at Hereford Records Office and the Castle Green and most recently we visited the now derelict National Shell FIlling Factory at Rotherwas Industrial Estate. The Factory was built in 1915 and was used to fill shells using explosives for the war. We had a brilliant talk by local historian Julie Orton-Davis who told us all about the Canary Girls, the women who worked there whose skin turned yellow from the chemicals they used, and other amazing stories about the building. The Hereford Academy students had a go at filming and taking photos of the area all as part of their project.

The project is a great opportunity for our students to work on a live brief as part of a professional film crew with specialist staff to learn what it would be like working in the film industry. This project is part of a wider WW1 Centenary celebration that is taking place across the UK during 2014. To mark the end of our project we will be exhibiting the film and artwork from the students at Hereford Museum & Art Gallery.

Brilliant talk from historian Julie about the FIlling Factory and the ‘Canary Girls’.

Hereford Academy & HCA students filming the building

Year 9 Hereford Academy students learning about film making on our site visit.