North East Documentary Filmmaker: Creative Capturing of the Northumberland Print Project
In 2014, I had the privilege of working as a North East Documentary Filmmaker on the Northumberland Print Project — an inspiring collaboration between Berwick Visual Arts, Northern Print, Berwick Children’s Centre, and Whistle Art Stop in Haltwhistle.
This creative partnership set out to bring the art of printmaking into the lives of young people and families in Northumberland, many of whom might not otherwise have the chance to engage with the arts.
Creativity Beyond City Limits
One of the things I love most about being a North East Documentary Filmmaker is uncovering stories from communities that are often overlooked. Northumberland, with its vast rural landscapes stretching between Newcastle and Edinburgh, isn’t always the easiest place for people to access high-quality arts experiences. The Northumberland Print Project tackled this head-on, delivering workshops in printmaking, photography, drawing, and digital storytelling to open up new creative possibilities for local young people.
Printmaking turned out to be an ideal medium for this mission. As the team from Northern Print described, it’s incredibly versatile — covering fine art, graphic design, crafts, and even practical uses like signage. For many young people, especially those who feel intimidated by a blank sheet of paper, printmaking offered a hands-on, approachable entry point into artistic expression.
“Printmaking is a very forgiving process… people can just have a good starting point. It’s not as intimidating as being faced with a white sheet of paper and told, ‘you have to draw something.’”
Empowering Young Artists Through Film
Part of my approach as a North East Documentary Filmmaker is not just to document events but to involve participants in telling their own stories. In the Northumberland Print Project, I worked closely with groups of young people, helping them capture video footage themselves. Together, we set up an Instagram account and recorded point-of-view shots and small moments from the workshops, all of which were later shared on a Tumblr blog. This became a digital scrapbook of their creative journey, showing how their confidence and skills grew over time.
Many of the participants were also working towards an Arts Award, a nationally recognised qualification that celebrates young people’s creative achievements. For several of them, this project offered their first experience of art beyond the school environment.
“The biggest value of Arts Award is taking art out of an academic situation… It’s a space where [young people] can be themselves and learn to express themselves in a very different way.”
One young man, Dominic Richardson, stood out to me during filming. As a disabled participant attending sessions for several months, Dominic worked one-on-one and discovered new artistic talents and self-belief he hadn’t experienced before.
“He’s producing some fantastic results… he’s starting to really be able to think for himself about what he’s going to do with the next painting or drawing.”
Art as a Community Connector
Being a North East Documentary Filmmaker means I get to witness how art transforms perceptions and brings communities together. Many of the young people in the Northumberland Print Project started out believing that galleries and museums were “boring places for older people.” But visits to places like The Baltic changed their minds, revealing that cultural spaces can be vibrant and welcoming for families and children.
“I thought it was going to be paintings of fruit or something… but there was even a part for the kids to play!”
Another joy of filming this project was seeing how print studios act as community hubs. As Northern Print’s team explained, a print studio can feel much like a kitchen — a place for conversation and connection while inks dry and plates are prepared. That sense of shared experience became an essential part of what I captured on film.
A Lasting Impact
The Northumberland Print Project didn’t just inspire the participants. It also provided training and development for staff at Berwick Children’s Centre and Whistle Art Stop. Helen, an artist from Northern Print, became a trained Arts Award assessor through the project, ensuring the skills and knowledge gained would stay within the community.
“I think the project speaks of a lot of value to Northern Print that has a life beyond the life of the project.”
For me, as a North East Documentary Filmmaker, this was an extraordinary example of how film can go beyond documentation to become an empowering creative tool. The young people weren’t just subjects of a documentary — they became co-authors of their own story, showing how art can build confidence and open new doors.
The Northumberland Print Project is proof that high-quality arts experiences don’t have to be confined to cities. With creativity, partnership, and dedication, art can thrive in rural communities, offering life-changing opportunities for individuals and building stronger connections across entire regions.
You can explore more of my films featuring artists and creative projects here: https://alanfentiman.co.uk/vimeo-videos/artist-films/