THE FILWOOD TIMES For our second block of sessions we decided to take inspiration from a rich history of local media in Knowle West. We worked with children in after school writing, game-making and collage sessions to create a fun, one issue only, community newspaper The Filwood Times. Contributions from the Filwood Chase History Society (who meet in Filwood Library every Wednesday afternoon) brought a historical element, and a piece from the editors of local paper The Knowledge gave a window into what it means to produce local print media. It wasn’t all factual though - as often happens when collaborating with children, the newspaper was a beautiful uncontrolled mix of fact and fabrication including ‘Shark Bones Found in Knowle West’ which we’ll leave you to make your own mind up about.  

We had 200 papers printed in tabloid format, and launched the publication with a community ‘Junket’ on the green outside the community centre. The set up was somewhere between press conference, wedding and village fete, with a long table set up and two banks of chairs. Participants played the ‘Junket Game’, witnessed a high drama unboxing of the papers which were then delivered by our distribution team and asked tough questions during the press conference. We also heard excerpts from the paper from special correspondents Chloe (fashion), Dan (culture), Brody (current affairs), Ruth (advice) & Jim (history).

We had a Knowle West TV pop up studio hosted by Eshiva Wright where people were interviewed about their involvement in the paper. Knowle West TV aired on ‘The Bristol Channel’ in the 1970s and was one of the UK’s first local cable TV channels. You can watch clips from their archive here. 

60 pundits came on a blustery late May afternoon, with many more enjoying the event from the playpark and the surrounding streets.


Credits:  
Hosted by Linzy & Rachael Speakers: Dan, Chloe, Brody, Ruth, JimPerformers: Eshiva Wright & Alice FreedmanProduced by: Jazz Loveys for KWMCHelp from: Abby Bayliss, Jason Grout, 
Gab Drewitt

All photos by Diego Maeso