PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: 7 September 2026
WORK Records project animates historic working lives in the East Midlands
Images –
Left: Workers at the John Smedley knitting factory in Lea Bridge, Derbyshire 1927. Courtesy of John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust.
Right: Stewarts & Lloyds employees examine a ladle of molten steel, Corby, 1950s. Image courtesy North Northamptonshire Council Corby Collection.
Three new animated films, inspired by stories of historic working lives in the East Midlands, will premiere this weekend at a special event at Derby Museums, presented by Derby-based arts agency Animate Projects.
The films have been commissioned for WORK Records, a creative heritage project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. They explore stories of working life at three historic family firms across the region: Chesterfield-based packaging company Robinson and Sons, knitwear manufacturer John Smedley in Lea Bridge, Derbyshire, and the former Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks in Corby.
Over the past 16 months, collaborative teams of artist-animators, volunteers, curators, historians and former employees have explored archive collections at Derbyshire Record Office, the John Smedley Archive and Corby Heritage Centre. Together, they have uncovered hidden stories and memories about past working lives at the different sites to inspire the artists’ films.
Animate Projects’ Director, Gary Thomas, said:
“With WORK Records, our heritage partners, volunteers and former workers have helped us to uncover stories and memories that have shaped community identities in the East Midlands, while our artists have brought these histories to life in new and unexpected ways. Together, the project has created fresh connections between past and present, showing how our shared heritage can continue to inspire and resonate today.”
Animation artists – Saul Pankhurst, Kate Anderson and Kim Noce – have literally animated these important, untold histories, bringing heritage to life and connecting contemporary workers with their historic counterparts.
Jane Middleton-Smith, Archivist at John Smedley said:
“For us as an archive, WORK Records has been a really rewarding project, opening up new ways to explore our collections and revealing fresh insights into the history of John Smedley as a family firm. Working collaboratively with volunteers and artists has brought new perspectives to our collections, and it’s been especially exciting to see historical material re-imagined through animation and to uncover the shared stories that connect our industrial heritage across the region.”
Karen Millhouse, Archivist at Derbyshire Record Office said:
“This project has given us a wonderful opportunity to bring the stories of Robinson and Sons to life and connect our archives with the people and communities they represent. The records tell us what was made and when, but this project has helped us explore something even more valuable – the experiences, skills and everyday working lives of the people behind the company’s success. We hope these stories inspire a renewed appreciation for the East Midlands’ industrial heritage to ensure these voices continue to be heard by future generations.”
Cllr. Greg Wilcox, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Communities, said:
“This project has given the team at the Corby Heritage Centre the opportunity to explore the Stewards & Lloyds collection in new ways and in greater depth. The recording of new oral histories with former workers from the steelworks factory has brought fresh perspectives to the archive, while supporting our volunteers to build confidence, knowledge and new skills.”
The three animated films, which will be shared with local community and through the WORK Records website later in the autumn, will premiere at a special event at The Wardwick at Derby Museum & Gallery on Saturday 12 September, 1.30pm-3.30pm.
This premiere event will feature a short documentary about the making of WORK Records by filmmaker Chris Bevan of YSP Media, followed by a panel discussion with project artists Saul Pankhurst and Kate Anderson, John Smedley Archivist Jane Middleton-Smith and composer Hutch Demoulpied, who worked with artist Kim Noce on the sound for her animation. The event will be chaired by Derbyshire-based curator, educator and writer, Camilla Brown. Tickets are available to book now, priced £10, from Derby Museums’ website.
Together with the archive collections, WORK Records is delivered in partnership with Junction Arts in Chesterfield, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire and the history team at the University of Derby.
WORK Records is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and is also supported by Arts Council England.
ENDS
For more information or images, please contact Vicky Washington at Animate Projects: workrecords@animateprojects.org
Notes for editors
About WORK Records
WORK Records is a creative heritage project exploring historic working lives across the East Midlands, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
It brings together ‘investigative’ teams of heritage curators, historians, artists, current and former workers and volunteers, to explore the holdings of three heritage collections – Derbyshire Record Office, Corby Heritage Centre and John Smedley Archive – and discover what they can tell us about working lives at three family firms: knitwear manufacturer John Smedley at Lea Bridge, packaging firm Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield, and former steelworks, Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd in Corby.
The artists have made short films that literally animate these important, untold stories of the significance, ideas, realities, and contemporary resonance of regional family firms, bringing heritage stories to life in an accessible and engaging way.
Alongside the archive collections, Animate is working with arts organisations Junction Arts in Chesterfield and Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire, the history team at the University of Derby, and Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
The project artists are Kate Anderson, Kim Noce, and Saul Pankhurst.
WORK Records is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and is also supported by Arts Council England.
About Animate Projects
Derby based Animate Projects was founded in 2007 and works at the intersection of animation, visual art and film, supporting animators, artists and filmmakers to create extraordinary work, often in new contexts, and in new collaborative partnerships.
Throughout 2026, Animate is supporting Derbyshire Makes with six film commissions focused on three filmmakers, six films and three Derbyshire industries – ceramics, textiles and stone/quarrying.
Recent projects include: PLANTING (2024) – three animated films responding to three Derby ‘gardens’; Anne-Marie Creamer’s film Dear Friend (2022), working with the collection of Sir John Soane Museum, London; and Nina Thomas’ Place Setting (2023), with British Ceramics Biennial, exploring d/Deaf working lives in The Potteries.
Recent films include The Debutante (Elizabeth Hobbs, 2022), winner of the Animated Short Jury Award at SXSW and shortlisted for the Animated Short Film Award, at the 95th Academy Awards, and And Granny Would Dance (Maryam Mohajer, 2024) winner of Best Animation and Best of Festival at Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Best British Short at Manchester Animation Festival 2024, and Best British Film at London International Animation Festival.
Animate is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
heritagefund.org.uk
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram
#NationalLottery #HeritageFund
About Arts Council England
Animate Projects is supported using public funding by the Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We set out to champion, develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives, supporting everything from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to crafts, and literature to collections.
About Corby Heritage Centre, North Northamptonshire Council
Housed in what was originally a 17th century farmhouse, Corby Heritage Centre has an eclectic collection of photographs, documents and other artefacts, focused on celebrating the industrial and social heritage of the town, its steel industry and communities, including the Scottish migrants who came to work in the steelworks. For WORK Records, the archive’s starting point has been the staff newspaper for steel manufacturer Stewarts & Lloyds, and films made by the S&L film unit.
Derbyshire Record Office
Derbyshire Record Office provides the archives and local studies services for the county, bringing Derbyshire’s fascinating past to life for residents, visitors and students. The Robinson and Sons collection at Derbyshire Record Office has extensive records related to the company’s innovative approach and pioneering paternalism including copies of the company magazine, The Link (1918-96).
derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record-office
John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust
The John Smedley Archive collection – over 23,000 items dating back to the second half of the 19th century including paintings, promotional materials, production specifications and historic garments – is the most comprehensive of any of the hosiery and knitwear companies. It offers a unique glimpse into over 240 years of this family business.
Fermynwoods Contemporary Art
Founded in 1998, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art supports life through art. This is achieved through commissioning innovative and meaningful ways for artists to engage with audiences in public spaces across Northamptonshire and online, through a wide range of temporary, socially engaged and education-based projects, linking culture to environmental sustainability and education, fusing urban culture with the rural landscape and bringing rural perspectives into the urban environment.
Junction Arts
Established in 1976 and based in Chesterfield, Junction Arts helps communities facing social barriers such as poverty, poor health, and low aspirations to create a better future through the arts. Festivals, workshops, and events give people the opportunity to be creative, learn new skills and build stronger communities. Junction Arts is committed to working with communities to co-create magical and memorable arts experiences that empower people, improve wellbeing and inspire change.
University of Derby
On the University’s MA in History and Heritage, students explore how history plays a central role in understanding and shaping contemporary society, preparing them for leadership roles in public history, heritage and the cultural industries.
Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site
The Derwent Valley Mills and the surrounding landscape were inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, in recognition that the valley saw the birth of the factory system, when new types of building were erected to house new technology for spinning cotton. DVMWHS promotes a local, national and international understanding and identity for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site as a cohesive and coherent whole, based on its global significance for all of humankind.