THE North West Film Archive are appealing for the public’s help to gather video footage of life in the North West during the coronavirus pandemic.

The #lockdownlife appeal aims to find a wide range of footage taken during the lockdown to paint a picture of what life was really like in the North West of England and to preserve our experiences for future generations.

The archive wants to show as many different people’s perspectives of the pandemic whilst living through a unique period of time.

Ideas for films include those that show social distancing, lockdown life, connecting with friends and loves one from far away, life at home or work, empty streets, experiences of key workers, Zoom parties, or the weekly applause for the NHS on our streets.

Nick Gladden, acquisition and documentation officer at the North West Film Archive, said: “These videos will help to capture this unique period in our lives for future generations to watch, much in the same way we’re able use the archive’s collection to look back on other momentous times in our region’s history.

“Film and video have a unique ability to bring the past to life – you can see the smiles, ‘smell’ the sea air, and ‘taste’ the candy floss of the holiday makers on the beach. You can hear the noise of the cotton weaving looms and ‘feel’ the floor rumbling underfoot.”

For more than 40 years, the North West Film Archive has been collecting and preserving these moving images depicting the lives and experiences of North West people from the late Victorian era right up to the present day for everybody to learn from and enjoy.

The collections allow people to see what life was like for the people of the North West during significant periods in our history, such as, the home-front during the First and Second World Wars, the strikes and political demonstrations of the 1980s, the ‘Swinging 60s’ and the rise and fall of the North West’s cotton and textile industries.

The archive also includes the memories of everyday life from the past, such as daily working and school life; the high days and holidays; the weddings, babies and birthday parties; as well as the ‘ordinary’ domestic lives of the region’s people.

  • If you’d like to be involved in the #lockdownlife project, please send your videos straight to n.w.filmarchive@mmu.ac.uk, or using the same email address via file transfer services such as WeTransfer or DropBox.