Rotters from Gina Czarnecki on Vimeo.

Here’s a link to a Community film produced by Gina Czarnecki, Sam Meech and Rotters Community Composting, supported by tenantspin.  The films feature within the South Liverpool Treatment Centre garden and Waiting Room, in Garston.

Go visit the centre to see the film as part of the stunning South Liverpool sub-tropical garden…or watch on here.

Go forth and compost!

Plus Dane Young People

Back in 2010 tenantspin project workers Patrick Fox and Laura Yates where approached by Plus Dane Housing Group and partner organisations including Anfield Detached, Merseyside Youth Development Services, Merseyside Youth Association and Liverpool City Council to take part in a new film for the Anfield Area. The project would be working with an intergenerational group from across Anfield on a new narrative for the district, something that would incorporate elements from the past, present and future of this changing neighbourhood.

Part of tenantspin’s work focuses on the Anfield/Breckfield area and so it was fantastic for us to be involved.

As part of the project Alex Harrison, a long-term collaborator with tenantspin and former FACT Young Persons Programme graduate was brought in to fill the role of lead artist and filmmaker. Along with Chris and Peter from MYDAS, Sue from Anfield Detached and Lisa and Julie from Plus Dane we engaged with a group of young and older people from the area and began to develop ideas for the film.

The project was a brilliant success and an accolade to the fantastic relationship and shared vision of the young people, older people and project leaders involved.

It finally premiered at FACT on the evening of March 24th 2011. Since then the film has been playing on a continuous loop in Gallery 1 @ FACT as part of the Anfield Pavilion in the Knowledge Lives Everywhere exhibition running at FACT until the 12th June.

We thought that was the end for now of a partnership which taught us so much about the power of collaborative working. However this was not to be! Imagine our surprise when we got an email informing us that we had been shortlisted for an award by the Plus Dane Young Persons forum! Alex and I went along to the interview which lasted 10 minutes and covered everything we did as a project as well as asking us about This is Anfield.

We went along nervously to the awards night, held in Liverpool’s Contemporary Urban Centre not expecting to win. We where the first award up and couldn’t believe our ears when tenantspin was called out.

The award was a brilliant coo for us and was presented in part for our role in This is Anfield but it also recognises the fantastic work tenantspin through FACT and Arena Housing has been striving at now for coming on 12 years, art for people and by people.

tenantspin’s first community film night (25th November) went down really well with all invited.

Our idea for this film evening came from feedback we received from other screenings of this ilk including Love Lane Lives (Leon Seth/Ron Noon) and Gardens of Stone (Paul Sudbury) which both have a very local focus but looked outward toward national schemes which changed the lives of people living in areas effected by mass demolition and redevelopment of social housing as well as the closure of huge, historical firms like Tate and Lyle who at one time employed 80% of the people living in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool.

This commuity film night featured the work of Ray Walsh local filmmaker and resident and the now famous documentarist Nick Broomfield. The first, Ray’s film Disappearing Communities was an 1989 production which documented the changing face of inner-city Liverpool and the social housing around the Bronlow Hill, London Road, Scotland Road and Byron Street areas. In someways, it provided a classically scouse nostaligic look at the importance of these commnities in the development of a city but with such a rounded outlook it was hard to stick on the side either of the goverment or the people.

The second, Nick Broomfield’s Behind the Rent Strike saw a very young Broomfield exposed to a world of socialism, ideology and strength of the masses that was pretty prevelant in some parts of Liverpool in the 70’s. The film documents a period of 12 months during which a group of residents from the overspill town Kirkby fight back against a rent increase and pay freeze which was part of a controversial government bill eventually scrapped in the early 80’s.

Some of the comments:

‘Hopefully this will be the 1st of many more screenings and understanding’

‘I loved the subject matter (of the film night) and the honest and open way it was portrayed’

‘Keep it coming’

‘Very impressed. More of these’

‘Good format – relaxed atmosphere’

‘Just hope more people can get involved – love the community aspect’

‘good. film lengths were ideal’

‘good split between inner city and subhurbs’

‘this is a fantastic idea – I hope to see a lot more community film nights’

Another film from 2006, shot on a shoestring budget, the film is a homage to 50′s B Movies.

We are uploading more past projects for your viewing pleasure. This is a short animation narrated by John McGuirk, written by Mark Duckworth and animated by Mark Hobson back in early 2007.

Final Hand is a short film written and directed by the late Mark Hobson in 2006. The film follows a man being haunted by a deceased gambler and tackles the issue of depression. The film is beautifully shot and features some stunning footage of Sefton Park shot early in the morning.