Overview

Make Film, Make History was an EU funded partnership project working with young adults (aged 18-24) from all over the UK, Germany and Denmark. The participants worked together to develop, produce and share films inspired by a common history, experiences of being young in Europe today and the future of Europe. After 14 months of hard work the participants got to shoot and edit their films at a three day residential hosted at IWM London in April 2016. 

Audiences
Young adults (aged 18-24) from all over the UK, Germany and Denmark
Project Partners

Funded with the support of the European Union under the Programme "Europe for Citizens".

Delivered by IWM in partnership with the Goethe-Institut London and Mosede Fort (Denmark), and with production partner Chocolate Films.

About

Make Film, Make History was part of IWM's major centenary initiative The First World War on Film, which marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and the British film depicting the battle.

Aims

Make Film Make History Group shot
IWM London, Make Film Make History Group

The Make Film, Make History project aimed to:

  • Examine the contemporary and lasting impact the 1916 and 1917 screenings of The Battle of the Somme film and associated events had on the home front, society and culture
  • Explore contemporary mass media parallels to the Battle of the Somme
  • Explore the use and development of film as a medium and communication tool, through the prism of the Battle of the Somme and the First World War

Events

Event 1: Recruitment and Selection of Participants

Participation: The event involved 105 citizens, including 43 participants from across the UK, 34 participants from across Germany and 26 participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in London (UK) Berlin (Germany) and Greve (Denmark) from 26 January 2015 to 27 March 2015
Short description:  The aim of the event was to recruit a diverse range of participants for the project through various youth networks, charities and cultural networks. The recruitment process attracted a total of 97 initial applicants. A shortlist of applicants were offered an interview, after which the project accepted a total of 31 confirmed participants.

Event 2: Project Website

Participation: The event involved 26 citizens, including 11 participants from across the UK, ten participants from across Germany and five participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in London (UK) and online, from 26 January 2015 to 31 July 2016
Short description: The aim of the event was for IWM staff and partners to create a web-page for their official websites, online learning resources shared via a variety of platforms, and to share views and work via blogs (Medium) and social media.

Event 3: Project Initiation

Participation: The event involved 38 citizens, including 13 participants from across the UK, 15 participants from across Germany and ten participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in The Academy / In Flanders Fields Museum (Ypres, Belgium), from  26 April 2015 to 29 April 2015
Short description:  The aim of the event was to launch the Make Film, Make History project through a residential in Ypres, Belgium, which included a diverse programme of history, film, identity and social media sessions.

Event 4: Project Development

Participation: The event involved 34 citizens, including 13 participants from across the UK, 13 participants from across Germany and eight participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place online (Facebook, Skype), and across UK, Germany and Denmark from  30 April 2015 to 29 December 2015
Short description:  The aim of the event was to bring participants together with mentors from the partner organisations in a series of online meetings (21) to help them to research and develop their film ideas.

Event 5: Film Development

Participation: The event involved 36 citizens, including 15 participants from across the UK, 13 participants from across Germany and 8 participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place online (Facebook, Skype and Google Hangouts), UK, Germany, Denmark, from  31 July 2015 to 09 April 2016
Short description: The aim of the event was for groups to work with Chocolate Films mentors to agree scripts and shooting plans in preparation for Residential 2. There were also online seminars with Chocolate Films, Imperial War Museums and Goethe-Institut London staff to discuss scriptwriting, film theory and how to promote their films online.

Event 6: Film Shoot and PR campaign

Participation: The event involved 40 citizens, including 21 participants from across the UK, 13 participants from across Germany and six participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in London (UK) from 10 April 2016 to 13 April 2016
Short description: The aim of the event was for participants to cast actors, shoot their films, edit a rough cut of their films and confirm strategies to promote the finished films, through a four-day residential at IWM London.

Event 7: Film Launch

Participation: The event involved 35 citizens, including 16 participants from across the UK, 13 participants from across Germany and six participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in London (UK) and online, from  13 April 2016 to 31 July 2016
Short description: The aim of the event was to launch the finished films via a physical event at Goethe-Institut London at the end of the second residential in London, followed by a digital launch of all the films via IWM's YouTube channel.

Event 8: Evaluation

Participation: The event involved 28 citizens, including ten participants from across the UK, 13 participants from across Germany and five participants from across Denmark.
Location / Dates: The event took place in London (UK), from 8 February 2016 to 1 July 2016
Short description:  The aim of the event was for an independent researcher who collected data, both qualitative and quantitative, from a range of sources including session observations, participant and partner interviews and surveys, blog and report analysis, and analysis of the finished films.

Event 9: Make Film Make History Partners Meetings

Participation: The event involved 21 citizens, including 12 participants from across the UK, six participants from across Germany and one participant from Denmark and two participants from Poland.
Location / Dates: The event took place online via Skype (from the UK, Germany and Denmark), from  21 April 2014 to 12 July 2016
Short description: The aim of the event was to carry out all major planning and decision making for the project, including: project set up (timetabling, project scope, financial planning, recruitment strategy, planning and decision making); planning for both the residentials, film group support (group progress updates, research support and troubleshooting) and evaluation of the residentials and the project overall.

Make Film Make History sponser banner