Introduction

Sheffield CIty Polytechnic, 1976. Barry Callaghan, Russell Murray, Bryan Causer at the Steenbeck. c/o Sheffield Hallam University

I gained a BA (Hons) in History at the University of Leeds in 2005, and returned to academia in 2015-16, completing an MRes in History at Sheffield Hallam researching the Sheffield Independent Film Group (1976-1984).

In 2017 I began a PhD for Sheffield Hallam as part of the AHRC Heritage Consortium, called Pretend You'll Survive - Yorkshire Arts Association Film and Video (1970-91) investigating the history of independent moving image in Yorkshire through a case study.

Fragments from these works will be presented here, many for the first time. While the MRes was completed and survives on an academic portal, the PhD ground to a full-stop in late 2023. Full time work. A global pandemic and child-rearing put paid to that dream. Nevertheless, too much research was conducted and too many words were drafted to let that story become invisible, so I present it here in pieces – essays, chapters, blogs, conference papers…

It is mainly unvarnished, largely un-academic, and some of it was written some years ago - but I think it remains important work to be shared.

The focus is mainly moving image and music from Yorkshire, but it drifts all over the country.

Items and essays will be added all the time…

Enjoy.