Derbyshire Makes History is commissioning six creative documentary films that tell the stories of the people, processes and skills involved in some of Derbyshire’s key historical and industrial products.

Derbyshire Makes is an ambitious county-wide creative community programme, celebrating the past, present and future of making and creativity in the county. As part of the programme, we want to commission six creative documentary films that tell the stories of the people, processes and skills involved in some of Derbyshire’s key historical and industrial products. Each film will focus on one of three key industries:

• Textiles/Knitting 
• Ceramics
• Mining and Quarrying

We plan to commission three filmmakers to produce two films each.

Follow this link to find out more about Derbyshire Makes.

Derbyshire Makes is developed and delivered on behalf of Derbyshire County Council by Local, and Local is working with Animate Projects to manage the commissioning and oversee production and delivery.

Follow this link to find out more about Local.

Derbyshire Makes History is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Background

Many of Derbyshire’s most treasured products and artefacts were produced by those who carried in their head, their hands and in their hearts the skills and techniques that have been passed down through generations.

Derbyshire Makes is an ambitious county-wide creative community programme, across eight local authority areas, which will celebrate the past, present and future of making and creativity in the county. The programme is being delivered over three years, beginning in 2025, with an annual month long festival period each March/April.

Derbyshire Makes and Derbyshire Makes History are the key programmes in delivering the Derbyshire County Council’s Cultural Framework. The Framework, developed through extensive mapping and consultation, reveals a dedicated museums and heritage sector, primarily composed of small organisations.

The Derbyshire Makes History films, part of the programme’s Digital Strand, seeks to raise the profile of these valuable organisations, which have been significantly affected by the pandemic, compromising their volunteer and trustee communities. The project aims to build capacity and increase visibility, empowering these organisations to engage in higher-profile, collaborative efforts they might not otherwise be able to access.

Derbyshire Makes History

Derbyshire's rich heritage of makers and innovators has profoundly influenced its landscape, economy, and communities. From the renowned potteries of South Derbyshire (such as Sharpe’s, Bretby, Moira, Ault, and TG Green’s), to the textile mills along the Derwent Valley (including Masson, Arkwright, John Smedley’s, Haarlem, and Belper North Mill), and the iron and brickworks (such as Stanton, Staveley and Butterley) powered by the coalfields of North Derbyshire, these industries have shaped the county’s industrial and cultural identity. Making is at the heart of Derbyshire's story.

The Derbyshire Makes History films will specifically focus on our heritage of making, sharing it and helping it become more meaningful and relevant to a broad range of communities and encouraging Derbyshire’s broad and diverse range of museums and heritage attractions to take part.

Film commissions

We want to commission three filmmakers to each research and produce two films, working with  organisations in one of the three key industries:

• Textiles/Knitting 
• Ceramics
• Mining and Quarrying 

We want the films to focus on place, people and skills. They will creatively document and capture stories of the places, people, processes and skills involved in some of Derbyshire’s key historical and industrial products, the passing on of skills from generation to generation, changing and loss of skills, and more.

We are working with the following organisations:

Textiles

John Smedley

Established in 1784, John Smedley is the oldest manufacturing factory in the world, crafting beautiful, high-quality garments that are designed to last, made in England and distributed the world over.

johnsmedley.com

Masson Mills

Built by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1783 to utilise the water power of the River Derwent for the mass production of spun cotton, Masson Mills is home to a textile museum and visitor centre.

massonmills.co.uk/museum

Ceramics

Sharpe’s Pottery Museum

Thomas Sharpe founded the pottery works in 1821, and the bottle kiln, with attached workshop buildings, are believed to be the oldest surviving sanitary pottery works in the country. The Museum’s collections include an array of Sharpe’s world famous toilets, rare examples from the Bretby Art Pottery and the popular and well known T.G. Green’s blue and cream striped Cornishware, originally manufactured at the pottery in nearby Church Gresley.

sharpespotterymuseum.org.uk

Denby

Denby pottery began in 1809 when William Bourne discovered fine clay in Derbyshire and is still on the same site where the pottery was founded.

denbypottery.com/blogs/about-us/denby-stories

Mining and Quarrying

National Stone Centre, The Institute of Quarrying and the Peak District Mining Museum

A site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geological wonders, the National Stone Centre tells the story of stone. Its importance to our everyday lives and the allied industries it supports. The Institute of Quarrying was founded over 100 years ago; based at the Stone Centre, its role is to promote the positive impact of the industry, the career opportunities available and support professionals working within it. The Peak District Mining Museum, currently based in Matlock, tells the history of Derbyshire’s mining industry.

The National Stone Centre , Institute of Quarrying and Peak District Mining Museum are working in partnership to build a new visitor centre to tell the story of stone and how it underpins society as we know it today.

nationalstonecentre.org.uk

quarrying.org

peakdistrictleadminingmuseum.co.uk

Treak Cliff Cavern, Blue John Cavern, C.W. Sellors

Blue John is Britain's rarest mineral, first discovered at Castleton by the Romans. The striking blue and purple banded mineral has been mined for centuries and is crafted into exquisite jewellery and ornaments.

bluejohnstone.com

bluejohn-cavern.co.uk

cwsellors.co.uk

We expect the commissioned filmmakers to develop their films by undertaking further research, independently, and with their host/partner organisations, and with relevant national organisations e.g. National Coal Mining Museum of England and the Heritage Crafts Association.

We expect the filmmakers to explore the partner collections and artefacts, and hope that visitor, volunteer and practitioner recollections might be used to help tell the stories.

We expect the films to have running time of between three and 10 minutes. The films will be screened together as part of the Derbyshire Makes programme, and are also intended to enable the partner organisations to reach new audiences on site and online.

They will be made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

Eligibility

We are looking for creative documentary filmmakers, working in live action and/or animation:

• With a track record in delivering independent and/or commissioned film projects, on time, and within budget.
• Experience of working to engage diverse communities in a contemporary heritage and/or museum context is preferable.
• Experience of working with a range of partners and stakeholders.
• With a passion for making.
• A commitment to access and inclusion.

Students in formal education are not eligible.

Fees

The fee available to each filmmaker is £16,000 (i.e. £8,000 for each of two films), to include to cover all production costs (including sound/music), fees, clearances, all travel, insurance, and any VAT applicable, with an estimated breakdown per film as:

Research and development 10 days @ £200:   £2000
Production 15 days @ £200:      £3000
Post-production 5 days @ £200:    £1000
Insurance and materials:     £1000
Filmmaker’s fee:      £1000

Payments will be in four instalments at editorial stages.

How to submit a proposal

Submission is through CuratorSpace.

We ask you to send us the following: 

• A brief statement outlining your relevant experience 
• Please tell us which of the three industries you are interested in and why.
• A brief statement about your approach: your interest in the opportunity, theme, and outlining the creative approach you would take. 
• Names of any people you plan to work with as part of the creative/production team
• A summary budget and schedule
• Your CV (maximum two pages)
• Links to up to three relevant examples of your work. Please do not send links that require download e.g. Dropbox, or YouTube links with advertisements.

If you would prefer to record a 2-3 minute video or voice memo to tell us about your approach, please send a link to the video on Google Drive or Vimeo or another platform.

Deadline: noon, 24 November 2025

We may invite shortlisted applications to an online interview on 16 December 2025.  

We expect to inform all applicants of our decision by 7 January 2026.

If you have any questions please contact us through CuratorSpace. 
We'll update the FAQs if appropriate.

We particularly encourage applications from individuals from low-income backgrounds, those who are ethnically diverse or disabled, and anyone else who considers themselves under-represented within film and the visual arts.

We ask all applicants to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. We will send this to you upon receipt of your application. The form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application.

If you have any access needs, or barriers to access that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to let us know either before applying or as part of your application.

We are unable to offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate that they have the right to work in the United Kingdom.

Selection criteria

The selection will be made by representatives of Derbyshire Makes, Local, Animate Projects, and in liaison with our partners.

We will initially shortlist applications against:

Your response to the brief (40%)
Your previous experience and work (40%)
Feasibility: budget and schedule (20%)

Schedule

24 November 2025 noon: Deadline
16 December: Interviews online
7 January: Notification of decision
January 2026: Contracts and initial meetings
January - February: Research and development
End February: Revised proposals submitted, with budget and schedule
March – August 2026:  Production/post-production
September: Delivery

Derbyshire Makes and Derbyshire Makes History are managed and delivered via a partnership of public, private and third sector organisations, with Derbyshire County Council (DCC) the accountable body.

Local is contracted by DCC to develop and deliver key strands of delivery, including this commission. Local is working with Animate Projects as consultants on the commissions, to manage the commissioning and oversee production and delivery.

You will be required, on occasion, to meet and share ideas and progress with the Derbyshire Makes Project Management Team.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Derbyshire Makes History - Potential Strands of Investigation

The following information was gathered in the research and development phase of this project, some of which may be a useful source for further investigation.

The Industrial Revolution left an indelible mark on Derbyshire and the county became a hub of innovation and industry. Our primary focus will Derbyshire’s industrial heritage of making and we will explore and celebrate 3 key industries.

Textiles/ Knitting Industry
Ceramics Industry
Mining (Lead/ Coal/ Iron) and Quarrying Industry

Textiles and Knitting 

• Sir Richard Arkwright’s innovative use of waterpower to drive machinery revolutionised textile manufacturing and set the stage for the industrial age. The legacy of this era is visible within The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
• Textile Mills were not just along the Derwent Valley they were throughout the county, along it’s watercourses, with Glossop a key centre with over 70 mills.
• Framework knitting was once one of the most important industries Derbyshire. The introduction of Jeremiah Strutt’s attachment for the frame which produced his ‘Derby rib’ in 1759, was very much instrumental in the region’s growth.
• The John Smedley factory was established in the village of Lea in 1874 and is now the world’s oldest manufacturing factory in continuous operations, producing high quality knitwear.
• Textiles and knitwear manufacturing continued to be an important part of Derbyshire’s economy, right through to the end of the 20th century.

Potential Resources

A Textile Tour of Derbyshire — Google Arts & Culture
Knitting Together – Knitting Together The Heritage of the East Midlands Knitting Industry
John Smedley opens Derbyshire factory for third-party manufacturing (knittingindustry.com)
Museum Nottingham - Framework Knitters Museum
National Association of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Derbyshire Guild
Introducing the John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust, featuring our Archivist, Jane Middleton-Smith
Masson Cotton Textile Mill, Derbyshire

Ceramics Production

• Clay has been extracted from the earth and used to make pottery in Derbyshire for over 7000 years. Many rich beds of clay were found in the 18th century leading to the establishment of companies manufacturing a range of products for domestic and foreign markets.
• Geologically clay forms the underlying strata associated with the geology of coal seems, so Derbyshire’s potteries and brickworks developed alongside coalmining and many pottery owners also owned collieries and would extract clay as well as having a readily available supply of coal to fire the kilns.  Most permanent coal mine, shafts, tunnels and bottoms are lined with local brick.
• By the turn of the 20th century there were more than 70 pottery-based manufacturers in South Derbyshire.  The South Derbyshire motto ‘The Earth Our Wealth’ reflects this industrial heritage, with the products of the earth resulting in business prosperity but a deterioration in the environment because of the impact of coal fired kilns.
• Chesterfield was also a key hub, with at least 19 working potteries in the 19th century, including the Pearsons’ Pottery which closed in 1994, with many located in the Brampton and Whittington areas.
• The world famous Denby Factory was established in 1809, in the village of Denby near Ripley and has been producing and exporting its products around the globe ever since.
• Porcelain production is also an important part of this story, with Royal Crown Derby one of the oldest porcelain manufacturers in England, producing from since 1750 plus also some small-scale production in and around Wirksworth.
• Ceramic production included sanitation production, table and cookware, food storage, plus more decorative items through the art potteries.
• Brickworks were scattered throughout the county, and this can be seen by the names and stamps of bricks in building throughout the county, many of which stamp the name of the town or village they were made in. Perhaps the most famous of these is Butterley Brick, made at the Butterley Works, Ripley and part of the famous Butterley Engineering, known for their work on St Pancras Station.

Potential Resources

Pottering around Derbyshire — Google Arts & Culture
Lifting the lid on Chesterfield's rich legacy of pottery-makers (derbyshiretimes.co.uk)
Bygone Industries of The Peak: Julie Bunting, Peak Advertiser, Derbyshire (wishful-thinking.org.uk)
Denby Pottery - Our Made in England Story Denby Pottery Company - YouTube
Sharpes Pottery Museum Swadlincote

Mining and Quarrying

• Mining, particularly for lead, iron ore and coal, also played a crucial role in Derbyshire’s industrial history and for centuries Derbyshire’s people have been burrowing deep into the landscape to extract the mineral riches within.
• The Peak District orefield was one of the largest and richest in Britain, with copper being mined as far back as the Bronze Age (2000 to 1500BC). Lead mining was though the most important industry in the Peak and at its height more than 25,000 mineshafts once existed.
• The Peak District is dotted with remnants of old mines and smelting works and industrial buildings, such as pump houses many of which are now preserved as historical sites. Lead disputes were settled by the Great Barmote Courts. Their regulations were passed into law in 1288. Although a negligible amount of lead mining activity takes place nowadays the court still sits ceremonially every year at Wirksworth’s Moot Hall.
• The story of Blue John Cavern in Castleton adds another layer to Derbyshire’s geological richness. This cave system is one of the only places in the world where the semi-precious mineral Blue John is found. The striking blue and purple banded mineral has been mined for centuries and is crafted into exquisite jewellery and ornaments.
• There has been coal mining in Derbyshire since the medieval period.  Mining initially took place along the eastern edge of the county, around Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Ripley and Heanor, where the coal seams occur close to the surface.  Production was not large, as charcoal was widely available as a source of domestic fuel, and the extent of coal mining operations depended on the interest of private landlords under whose estates the seams lay.
• The demand for Derbyshire coal increased from the 18th century.  Local lead was now being smelted using coal fired hearths, whilst the construction of the Derbyshire canal network and subsequently the rail network, meant that both lead and coal could be distributed to wider markets far more cheaply than had hitherto been possible.  The incentive of profit attracted entrepreneurs into the coal industry and led to the formation and growth of large colliery companies. 
• Until 1947 mines – often known as collieries – were private enterprises managed by or for the landowner or by companies who leased the land from them. In 1947 the coal industry was nationalised, and the National Coal Board (NCB) was established to manage and operate the 980 collieries across the country.

Potential Resources

Mining Heritage | Coal Mining Culture in the East Midlands
The history of the mining industry in Derbyshire | Great British Life
Search | MACE Archive. Blue John (1963) - YouTube