Front Room Factories: O Productions

Front Room Factories is an intimate story of people and place, co-commissioned by National Festival of Making and The Super Slow Way in 2017.

Lancashire’s domestic creators invited video producers O Production into their homes, revealing an industry producing ceramics, cigar box guitars, cakes & biscuits, petrol can lights, tableware, jewellery and more.

The film explores the manufacturing that occurs at home, amongst family, amid hectic lifestyles and in response to the opportunity and demands of business, trade and making. A reminder of just how much you can do with what you have, Front Room Factories champions the creative spirits working in our midst.

The documentary highlights a diverse group of artisans who transform their living spaces into hubs of craft and innovation.

Featured makers include Zainab Bilal of Pie Mezzanae, whose culinary creations brought warmth and flavour through the form of pies! Rizwana Matadar of Cover Me, blending design and practicality through handmade textiles; Alex Devol of Wood Woven, crafting finely made wooden pieces.

We also spotlighted Graham “Rod” Rodgerson of Woodcrafts by Rod, whose traditional techniques preserve a timeless craft of cigar box guitars; Verity Evans of Oh You Pretty Things, known for joyful, characterful jewellery creations; and Ami Gleeson of Ida & Rudy, who brought thoughtful design to handmade children’s wear. Rounding out the group are Lee Walsh, whose artistic practice is rooted in three-dimensional design, and Fatima Patel of Tempting Delights, sharing homemade treats that embodied her passion for sweet bakes inspired by her south asian heritage.

Together, they formed a vibrant portrait of the modern cottage industry and the ingenuity that thrives within the front room.

About O Production

O Production is a tightly-knit and agile video production company who love to create digital media in a wide range of creative contexts that looks good on every conceivable platform. Over the past decade, they have become one of the UK’s leading content creators in arts, innovation and culture and continue to create engaging and effective marketing content for major global brands.

O Production collaborates with some of the biggest brands in art, design, fashion, music and advertising on an ever-changing output of promotional, documentary and educational films as well as creating artworks and interactive digital media that connect businesses and engage audiences.

Instagram

I want to put Blackburn on the map for British fusion pies. I’ve got so many ideas, I just need more time to try them.

Zainab Bilal, Pie Mezzanae

200 years on from a time when most people of Pennine Lancashire used their homes at the peak of the cottage industry boom, the area is seeing a renaissance as small-scale producers set up shop in their living rooms and kitchens.

The Guardian

This film includes ‘Blackburn to the Fore’, a choral arrangement of William Billington’s poem for Jamie Holman’s residency at Roach Bridge Tissues, performed by the Blackburn People’s Choir.