StoryMakers

A collection of films from Richard Clements' project

StoryMakers, led by Richard Clements, is a deeply personal and collaborative project that blends archive footage, music, dance and personal stories to explore memory, identity and the passage of time. Through Clements, the project sets the stage for a wider exploration of Northern Ireland’s history and the fragile nature of memory.

Collaborating closely with Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive, Clements weaves together a rich tapestry of archival images that ground these stories in real places and events. The films in Storymakers – from the deeply personal O’Connell’s Weir, in which Clements’ mother recounts her childhood by Belfast’s River Lagan, to Anáil, with its haunting dance and sea-swimming story, and Aquiline, which delves into grief and family – use personal experiences to tap into universal themes of loss, survival and change.

The project was launched in a live event at the Crescent Arts Centre on 21 November 2024, live performances were accompanied by projected archive footage, bringing the films to life for the audience.

Collaboration is key throughout the project, with filmmakers, poets, dancers and musicians all contributing their individual interpretations, reactions and visions for the project. The result is a series of films that not only preserve personal histories but also bring those stories into conversation with the wider cultural and historical context of Northern Ireland. Storymakers is a celebration of the power of storytelling to preserve memories and connect us to the places and people that shape us.