From pies and family recipes, to a wannabe-Viking and female brickie – What makes young people feel connected to their heritage?
A recipe book handed down for generations, a grandma’s wartime story, a Hungarian donut, and a pie at the footie. These were some of the responses which came back when Wentworth Woodhouse asked local 16 to 25-year olds: Tell us what heritage means to you in a four-minute film.
Six of the young filmmakers who replied will now see their work premiered at the Mansion’s first ever film festival, Big House | Short Films. Supporting young creatives around South Yorkshire, the digital and interactive event on Saturday 15th November will challenge stereotypes and share what heritage means to the youth of today. The festival, which runs from 6.00pm-9.00pm, will also showcase films from four trainee filmmakers who have explored opinions on heritage gathered in a series of youth consultations run by Wentworth Woodhouse as part of Rotherham’s Children’s Capital of Culture Festival Year. Their productions tackle statements including “heritage is just old buildings” and “it’s not for people like me” and have all been shot on location in Rotherham.
Creative installations will be staged in the Mansion’s State Rooms. In its private Chapel, Wentworth Woodhouse itself will be ‘on trial’ in a concept created by Rotherham College students whereby a screening debates whether or not the historic house should be demolished to make way for a new shopping centre, with the audience acting as the jury. Visitors can also take part in a screen-writing workshop with award-winning writer, Rob Young, meet the filmmakers and view their movies.
Shadow Sites by 17-year-old, Rotherham-based, Ava Lockey focuses on the Rotherham women who manufactured Lee-Enfield rifles and Sten submachine guns at the Royal ordinance Factory in Maltby during the Second World War.
Woodsetts-based, 22-year-old, William Armitage’s film, Stories in Stone, tells of his passion for church buildings. It features St Peter’s Church in Thorpe Salvin where William recently had an experience which brought religious faith into his life.
The Weight of the Axe by Laughton Common student, Pia Woods, 17, is a mockumentary about a fictional teen’s quest for identity after discovering he’s one percent Viking. Pia’s storyline questions whether we can go too far to find ourselves.
Food features in three films. Made in Love, by Wath’s 18-year-old Georgia Tidy, is the story of a family recipe book passed down through generations, and the sense of joy and togetherness that comes with every turn of its pages. Pies is Grace Bower’s look at the tradition of enjoying a pie at a football match, and delves into the sense of community, comfort, and joy that it brings. In 1976, the old Rotherham United ground, Millmoor, became the first sports venue to sell Pukka Pies, and Grace’s great-aunt Winnie ran the pie stall. Grace is 20 and from Whiston:
“Lots of my family worked at Millmoor and auntie Winnie shaped matchdays with her stall. Pies are still inseparable from football. They are a local tradition and a taste of heritage that continues to bring people together,” said Grace.
When your family is far away from its roots, it takes just a little taste of home to bring comfort, as explained by 17-year-old Mikey Mamah in his film Favourite Donut. The Mamah family came to the city from Budapest in 2013. In the kitchen in Greenhill, Sheffield, Mikey films his mum, Katalin, making sweet Hungarian donuts to an old family recipe. Mikey is autistic and filmmaking, which he began at age 10, gives him confidence and a means of expression. Mikey, who is now at Landmarks Specialist College in Rotherham, preparing for his future, said:
“When I heard that Wentworth Woodhouse was looking for people to get involved in its film festival I thought, what an incredible opportunity to give to young people. I feel speechless that my film is going to be seen by lots of people at the festival.”
Big House | Short Films is part of Perception Busters, a year-long, youth-led film project developed by the Trust for Rotherham’s Children’s Capital of Culture 2025, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Perception Busters has encouraged local young people to look beyond the view often held by their generation that heritage is nothing more than historic buildings that are not relevant to them, and explore its many different forms. It has also given two young trainees the opportunity to gain film-related skills and work experience.
Young producers have led the project at every stage and Wentworth Woodhouse’s trainee creative producers. Louise Webb and Mrat Frezghi, have designed the film festival, making two of the films being shown. Mrat created a mockumentary called What is Heritage, which sent characters around Rotherham to discover more about their town. On the journey, they become closer and realise the importance of heritage in their lives. Brick by Brick, Louise’s work, focuses on the life of a female bricklayer and stonemason, Ellie Dobson, from Bradford:
“I decided to make a film about a young person working in a heritage craft to show that heritage sites are relevant to young people today,” said Louise, 23, from Parkgate, Rotherham. “Places like Wentworth Woodhouse aren’t just being preserved for the sake of it. They are being protected for future generations to enjoy and the heritage crafts required create meaningful employment opportunities for young people – careers that give them a sense of purpose and fulfilment.”
Victoria Ryves, the Trust’s Head of Culture and Engagement, commented: “Perception Busters has empowered young people to connect with their past and take pride in their present. Its film festival will share youth-driven views and creativity with the public, which aligns with our long-term aims around inclusive heritage engagement. The film festival is part of our youth engagement programme, which is committed to developing young people’s skills and giving a platform to emerging local talent/ We are deeply impressed with the quality and creativity of the films being premiered and urge people to come and support these talented young people as part of Rotherham’s Children’s Capital of Culture festival year. Heritage is what we inherit from the past which shapes our values, traditions. and identity. It can be old buildings, museums, and history books, but as these young filmmakers show, it can also be our traditions, customs. and