Medway on Screen Project

Medway on Screen was community history project run by Screen Archive South East, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project ran for a year, concluding in Spring 2011 and drew on unique films from the archive, exploring the social and industrial history of the Medway and West Kent in the 20th century.

The project used archive films as a catalyst to discover, share and celebrate the many different voices, memories and histories related to the River Medway and the towns and villages it passes through. Community events were organised throughout 2010/11 in Maidstone, Rochester and Tonbridge.

The projectl worked with participants to gather and preserve individual memories, historical information, oral history interviews and related historical materials uncovered by the people of Medway.

An interactive Medway on Screen website was developed as part of the project and this still provides an opportunity to view the films and share memories of the Medway and West Kent.

A two-disc DVD was produced at the end of the project and features hightlights from the oral histories and memories gathered. Disc one includes oral history recordings edited with archive film material of the Medway and West Kent from the collection at Screen Archive South East. The disc also features information about the project and the community events that took place in Tonbridge, Maidstone, Rochester and the Medway Towns. Disc two features seven full-length archive films from the collection at Screen Archive South East, which were used as the catalyst for the project. View our DVD page to find out more about it.

A news item was also broadcast by Meridian, to celebrate the end of the project. The report featured interviews with Screen Archive South East's Director Frank Gray and Christine Furminger of the City of Rochester Society. The report also includes film of the Medway from the archive's collection and oral history recordings from the project's DVD. The item can be viewed online on the ITV News website.

Contact details

• For further information, please contact:

  Screen Archive South East
  Telephone: 01273 643213
  Email: screenarchive@brighton.ac.uk

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Screen Archive South East is part of the University of Brighton. The Medway on Screen project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and run in cooperation with Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC) in Rochester, the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone and Tonbridge Library.