Seacourt Print Workshop has partnered with the Digital Film Archive over the past 2 years using the many and varied films held in the archive as a starting point for conversation and exploring personal stories. Working with those with dementia, chronic illness and those new to art making, we saw how powerfully the films triggered memories, recollections, stories and songs. Then working with printmakers, we supported those groups in making prints in response to those feelings and stories.
We recognised that this process could be powerful for Artist Printmakers too and when the Digital Film Archive asked us to work on this project, we saw the opportunity for artists to respond to film in a similar way. We provided film clips that the 6 printmakers could view in advance and then gathered them for conversations about what inspired or resonated with them. Through these sessions, the artists shared their work in progress and reflected on the source material providing support to each other as they made new work.
The resulting prints are as diverse and varied as the source materials, but each captures a fleeting moment or feeling in response to these stories from The Great War.