The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Fighting Back
Residents of a poor council estate display initiative and growing confidence as they create a local theatre group and tenants’ association.
From the collection of:
Overview
A Yorkshire Television documentary from 1987 that focuses on how some residents of the Manor area of Sheffield are responding to the high unemployment and poverty on the council housing estate. It focuses on a residents’ theatre group in the run up to the June General Election, reflecting both the demoralisation – attributed to unemployment, poor housing, poverty and untrustworthy politicians – and the fighting spirit of at least some of those living on the Estate.
This is the last of a series of four themed programmes that were aired in August 1987, and later re-edited into a single shorter programme broadcast on Channel 4, this time naming those residents who are interviewed. Yet, unfortunately, information on those featured in the programmes is hard to come by; including that of the ad hoc theatre group who performed the agit-prop play, more common in the 1970s and ‘80s. And, with the demise of Yorkshire Television, which effectively ceased in 2004 after being taking over by ITV, there is little prospect of any follow up documentary. Yet there remains a Lower Manor Tenant and Resident Group, having voted to join the Acis housing association in 2006.
Related
Watch for free
Spare Time Spare Time
Documentary 1987 27 mins Location: Manor Estate
The traditional pastimes of a council estate, revealing the lack of money and the underlining tensions between genders and generations.
Watch for free
Manor People Manor People
Documentary 1987 27 mins Location: Manor Estate
A rare chance to see people at the sharp end of the Thatcher revolution speaking about their lives without leading questions or commentary.
Watch for free
Made in Sheffield Made in Sheffield
Documentary 1987 27 mins Location: Manor Estate
A revelation of the resourcefulness of those thrown onto the jobless scrapheap using whatever is on hand to scrape, often literally, a living.
Watch for free
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
Watch for free
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Watch for free
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Watch for free
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
Watch for free
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
Watch for free
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.