Theatre Workshop Scotland
Once Upon a Time in Fife
What’s it about?
The General Strike and hot summer of 1926 created a moment of profound optimism and freedom, days and night of theatre and music mixed with revolutionary debate and direct action. Extreme hardship characterised the experience of miners and their families, but their lives were also shaped by social organisation, solidarity, compassion and humour.
This is a film about collective action and self-determination, it is passionately engaged in a political enquiry – made through the lives of real people and made with a real community.
While the film is a period drama set in 1926, it is deeply rooted in the reality of 2011. It proposes that the poorest in society shouldn’t bear the brunt of a financial crisis. The best drama effects how people see the world - this film reinforces the notion that “there is a better way”.
The aim of this project is to create a film of exceptional quality that casts current day inhabitants of the Fife ex-coalfield community in their own history.
• To capture a moment of profound optimism and freedom
• To enable participants to glimpse the possibility of alternative social orders
• To feed the imagination, build confidence and strengthen community connections
• To make this inspiring and hopeful legacy widely available as a resource for our times
The film has been in development for two years, stemming from TWS Director Robert Rae’s previous work relating to mining culture, such as the 1984 TUC sponsored tour of The Six Men of Dorset.
Filming is due to take place from 11 July to 22 August this year. Once Upon a Time in Fife will be shown by the BBC on completion
How can you help?
If every union member donated £1 then the quality of the production and the experience for participants would be greatly increased.
The Theatre Workshop Scotland have recently set-up a Just Giving page, for the receipt of donations to the film. A simple link to our Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/theatreworkshop/Donate on union websites and newsletters would help make this happen. Support is sought at national, regional, individual and branch level and your would be appreciated. A souvenir programme, which will include a list of donors, will be produced.
For further information and to donate please follow the links below: