Spectacle Projects
Information about Spectacle’s various projects, workshops and activities coming soon.
All Projects
ACTIVE - Battersea Power Station
Spectacle has been following the story of Battersea Power Station, as it is handed from one developer to another, each submitting plan after plan for the iconic building's future and interim 'repairs'
With archive dating back to 1978 and interviews with Battersea Power Station Community Group members (with whom Spectacle have a close working relationship), London Assembly member Richard Tracy and Lord Alf Dubs.
ACTIVE - LONDON - DELHI 2010-2012
London-Delhi 2010-2012 is a digital arts collaboration between artists and young people in London and Delhi, creating and sharing contemporary stories of their two cities.
Spectacle was part of the Arts Lab, running a walking tour for visiting students and local organisations and leading the production of the film 'Riverfront' with local youth.
ACTIVE - London Olympics 2012
Spectacle have been following the development of the London 2012 Olympic Games since the early bid stages.
Examining how the mega event has been used to usurp land and questioning the principles of regeneration, gentrification and the legacy promises with which this is defended.
ACTIVE - Micronomics
Micronomics investigates an understanding of small scale self-organised (micro-)initiatives and whether the economy has room for them.
The film considers their potential to challenge the dominant definition of 'the economy' and implication, when the value created and exchanged is of social nature
ACTIVE - Murray Bookchin
The project explores the development of Murray Bookchin's political and philosophical thought through biographical video clips.
Filmed at Bookchin's home in Vermont in 1995
ACTIVE - Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo
New documentary telling the story of Guantánamo: torture, extraordinary rendition and secret prisons. Examining how the Bush administration turned its back on domestic and international law, rounding up prisoners in Afghanistan and Pakistan without adequate screening and often for large bounty payments. Focusing on prisoners, Shaker Aamer, Binyam Mohamed and Omar Deghayes, 'Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo' is a powerful rebuke to the myth that Guantánamo holds “the worst of the worst”.
ACTIVE - Poverty and Participation in the Media
Poverty and Participation in the Media is a participatory media project examining how the media treats poverty and those affected:
Looking at opportunity and exclusion; representation, stigmatisation and stereotyping. With the wealth gap on the increase and virtual segregation of the classes creating urban ghettos - Does the media influence bridge or increase the divide?
ACTIVE - Silwood Video Group
The Silwood video group is a constituted group Spectacle started in 2001.
Since its inception, this extraordinary and unique group has had approximately 200 people through its doors from the ages of 6 to 70 and worked on a wide range of video projects about the regeneration of the neighbourhood.
ACTIVE - Spectacle Blog
The Spectacle Blog is a forum which allows extended discussion about current and past projects inviting people to participate in their development and comment on some of the themes and issues that they explore.
ACTIVE - Well London
Well London is a 5 year partnership programme which invests in community-led projects that promote mental health and well-being, healthy eating, access to open spaces and physical activity
Spectacle are the media partner for the programme, documenting the activity and themes and supporting resident led films about each of the 20 focus areas.
COMPLETE - APaNGO
Spectacle is a partner in APaNGO (Advocacy, Participation and Non Governmental Organisations in planning). It aims to increase community involvement in planning and to undertake a study into community involvement in planning in the North Western European (project partner) countries. These are UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg.
COMPLETE - Charlton Athletic FC Workshops
Spectacle ran a set of 6 workshops in and around Charlton Athletic FC. for a group of young people from the local area. The group were taught to use camera, audio and lighting equipment and put their new skills to use filming the Charlton Athletic Ladies' Football Team in training.
COMPLETE - Class X
Class X was made for Channel Four Online in connection with the TV series ‘The Unteachables’. Contributing to the discourse on education from perspective of the students. Despite its tabloid title the series "Unteachables" was a very well received contribution to the debate on education and exclusion.
COMPLETE - Speak Out Against Discrimination
Anti-discrimination campaign video commissioned by the Council of Europe. Using visual metaphor, 'The Glass Ceiling' was a call to action that sought to cross language barriers across Europe and Russia, highlighting individual responsibility to 'Speak Out Against Discrimination'. The project page documents the development of the project from concept through the post-production stages.
EXPERTISE - Community-led Investigative Journalism
Community media does not have to be marginal.
Getting to the truth with the local insight granted by participatory media can capture events from which the most tenacious journalist is excluded
EXPERTISE - Despite TV
Despite TV was a video co-operative founded by Mark Saunders in 1982. The group operated out of Thap Bookshop on Whitechapel Rd East London producing a Video Magazine for Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham. Despite TV also produced the highly acclaimed "Battle of Trafalgar" on the poll tax demonstration for Channel 4.
EXPERTISE - Documentary
Spectacle specialise in documentary production focusing on civil liberty, racism, homophobia and social justice, urbanism, regeneration and gentrification.
EXPERTISE - Participatory Media
Participatory media is a Key element of Spectacle's practice.
Born out of the video cooperative, Despite TV, Spectacle have set up a number of other groups with whom we still working. Partipatory practices are also an important element to a number of our projects.
EXPERTISE - Spectacle Training
These pages give information about our workshop-based training practice, designed to equip organisations or individuals with technical knowledge and practical skills. The courses we offer cover all aspects of pre-production, production and post-production. Our emphasis on participatory democracy, urbanism and social justice can also be drawn upon in these sessions.
EXPERTISE - Video in the City
Video in the City: Possibilities for Transformation in the Urban Space by B. S Ezgi Sarıtas; MA European Urban Cultures Polis Thesis; 2006-2007.
Spectacle are one of three case studies used in the thesis, alongside our Brussels partners PTTL and Karahaber in Ankara.
EXPERTISE - Work Placements
Spectacle run a 15 day placement programme for which anyone is welcome to apply, you can register you interest via the contact page. We have also been involved European extended learning exchange programmes.
TOOLS - Active Archive
The Active Archive is part of the participatory process.
BITC clips are uploaded to the web archive enabling involvement with editorial decisions from a wide range of stakeholders.
TOOLS - Japanese info 日本語ページ
This section of the site contains information about Spectacle translated to Japanese by Hideto Sakai.
日本語ページはこちらです
TOOLS - Workshop Tools
These workshop tools are a collection of useful files, software and links for use in media workshops, including camera instructions, manuals and "how to" info, logging sheets and instructions, model contracts and constitutions, ideas on organisation.
At a glance
- ACTIVE - Battersea Power Station
- ACTIVE - LONDON - DELHI 2010-2012
- ACTIVE - London Olympics 2012
- ACTIVE - Micronomics
- ACTIVE - Murray Bookchin
- ACTIVE - Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo
- ACTIVE - Poverty and Participation in the Media
- ACTIVE - Silwood Video Group
- ACTIVE - Spectacle Blog
- ACTIVE - Well London
- COMPLETE - APaNGO
- COMPLETE - Charlton Athletic FC Workshops
- COMPLETE - Class X
- COMPLETE - Speak Out Against Discrimination
- EXPERTISE - Community-led Investigative Journalism
- EXPERTISE - Despite TV
- EXPERTISE - Documentary
- EXPERTISE - Participatory Media
- EXPERTISE - Spectacle Training
- EXPERTISE - Video in the City
- EXPERTISE - Work Placements
- TOOLS - Active Archive
- TOOLS - Japanese info 日本語ページ
- TOOLS - Workshop Tools