Channel 4 contributes to Northern Ireland film archive

Channel 4 has joined forces with the Nerve Centre in Londonderry to help bring the history of Counties Donegal and Derry alive for schoolchildren.
The broadcaster is assisting the Nerve Centre – a multimedia arts centre for young people - to develop a unique archive containing film and television footage which gives a representation of life in Counties Derry and Donegal over the last 100 years.
The North West Film Archive is a cross-border project, funded by the European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, through Co-operation Ireland, and is a collaboration between the Nerve Centre, Donegal County Museum & Arts Services, Letterkenny Arts Centre and the Derry City Council Museum Service.
Channel 4, with the agreement of independent production companies which made the programmes for the broadcaster, agreed to return rights on a range of documentaries as part of its public service commitment to initiatives throughout the UK.
Programmes donated cover a range of topics such as politics, religion, history and everyday life in Derry and Donegal, as well as the drama documentary, 'Sunday', written by Jimmy McGovern and based on the events surrounding Bloody Sunday.
As well as moving images, the archive will include photographs and oral histories. When the archive is complete, it will be used as an educational tool for both primary and secondary school pupils in both counties.
The archive will also be available on free-standing kiosks in several cultural centres, including the Nerve Centre and the Tower Museum in Derry. School pupils will have the opportunity to enjoy a wider experience at the Nerve Centre where they will be given a series of clips from programmes relating to the history of the counties and will learn how to make their own three-minute films, using the history clips and specialised computer and editing equipment.
Channel 4’s Director of Nations & Regions, Stuart Cosgrove, said: “We previously assisted with a similar project in partnership with the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission, documenting the social history of Northern Ireland generally over the past 100 years. This has proved to be an extremely useful educational resource and we’re now proud to be involved in this valuable partnership project which specifically addresses the history of the two counties.”
Breda Connell, Project Co-ordinator for the North West Film Archive, said: “We are delighted that Channel 4 has given these important programmes to be used in the North West Film Archive. Here, they are collected together for the first time with other documentaries, shorts, drama, animation and amateur footage which bring the moving image heritage of counties Derry and Donegal to life.”
The archive is expected to be completed by Spring 2006.
(GB)