Bermondsey Silent Film Project

The Bermondsey Silent Film Project

The Bermondsey Silent Film Project has been organised by the Cherry Gardens TRA as an event to launch their new premises on Jamaica rd on September 19th The project is funded by the United St Saviour’s Charity . It is inspired by the mobile education cinema of the Bermondsey Council in the 1920’s and 1930’s. For the project we are using a large van and showing some original short silent films made with children in South Bermondsey as well as two original silent educational films made in the 1920’s by Bermondsey council as well as a film made by The Camden Society showing their activities.

The Bermondsey Council

The Bermondsey council of the 1920’s and 30’s was a progressive, Labour led council. The Salters were Socialist Christians who lived and worked in Bermondsey, dedicating their lives to improving the health and living conditions of the poor. Dr Alfred Salter was the first Labour MP for West Bermondsey and his wife, Ada Salter, was the first woman Mayor for Bermondsey and the first woman Mayor in London.

At this time, the main source of work in Bermondsey was casual work in the docks and factories. The majority of residents were poor, ill-fed and living in terrible conditions. The Labour led Bermondsey council embarked on an ambitious programme of social and health reform, providing free healthcare for those who could not afford it and instituting a new building works programme and a project of ‘beautification’ planting many trees and rose bushes in the area. Cherry Gardens TRA takes its names from the trees planted in that era, many of which still survive.

The council also instituted an ambitious health care programme, free at point of use for those families who could not afford healthcare. Many see this as a precursor to the NHS. The healthcare programme included a public education programme for which numerous silent health education films were produced. These were shown on the streets from the back of a re-purposed dispensary van from the back of a van which travelled around the borough.

Some of these films, are available from the Southwark Library Local Archives. They are shown today with kind permission from The Southwark Local History Library and Archive, who have also provided us with information and photographs. These films are also available at the BFI and online.

For more information about the film collection at Southwark Local History Library and Archive please go to: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200161/local_history_library’.

Children’s Silent Films

Over the summer holiday, Metaplay ran a 3 day silent film workshop with children of 7-12yrs. Inspired by the work of comedy silent films, we made one short film per day.

Camden Society

The Camden Society run programmes for learning disabled adults. Their film unit has produced a short about their programmes.

RUNNING ORDER for The Bermondsey Silent Film Project 19th September

Starts at 14:00 then every approximately every 40mins thereafter.

14:00 14:40 15:20 16:00 16:40 17:20

1. Camden Society Film, “Happy” (5 mins in total)

2. Children’s Silent films (5mins in total)