Hallam Academic Strives To Support Sheffield's Film Community
Dr Emmie McFadden standing by the Jo Peel mural on Alma St, Kelham Island, Sheffield
“Not having access to the Showroom has been a huge loss to the cultural life of Sheffield and for the social lives of so many people who live here”
By Mark Greene
Sheffield's film scene received a major boost this week with the commencement of the Showroom Summer Season. Some of Sheffield’s most esteemed academics from both Sheffield Hallam and the University of Sheffield will be involved in a series of weekly talks, with each session delving into a new area of cinema circling the globe.
Dr Emmie McFadden has kindly been speaking with us about the leading role she's played in organising the event
Q. How did you become involved in organising the Showroom Summer Season?
I’m a regular guest speaker and long-time friend of the Showroom cinema. The Showroom is very close to my heart and I never forget how lucky we are in Sheffield to have such a great independent cinema in our city, and, indeed, next door to our city campus. This year I took lead of ‘Film Studies at the Showroom’, which has been running in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University for 21 years now. Our 2020 spring Film Studies season would have been our 63rd collaboration with the Showroom. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans and the Showroom cinema, along with everything else, had to shut its doors. The Showroom will not re-open until it’s safe to do so, which is currently mid-September. Mid-March to mid-September is a very long time to have Sheffield’s Cultural Quarter closed. I wondered if there was a way that we could keep the Showroom in the hearts and minds of Sheffield’s film community and so I arranged a meeting with the Showroom’s CEO, Ian Wild, about putting on a series of weekly events that would be free to attend for the film-loving public. I didn’t know if any academics would be up for volunteering their time to reach out and engage with Showroom audiences – I felt like they would and that there was no harm in asking. So I asked. And the response was incredible.
“I never forget how lucky we are in Sheffield to have such a great independent cinema in our city, and, indeed, next door to our city campus”
Q. What have you enjoyed most about your involvement?
Seeing Sheffield’s film community come together in strong support of the Showroom. It’s been brilliant. There’s so much love out there for the Showroom and a genuine hunger to keep a sense of film culture alive for audiences who miss listening, learning, and talking about film. It’s been brilliant to be able to connect with colleagues from Sheffield Hallam and University of Sheffield and for us to build the Showroom Summer Season together.
Q. What’s been the most challenging aspect of organising the Showroom Summer Season?
“each time I reach out to someone to volunteer to help they always say ‘yes’”
Showroom Summer Season
The most challenging aspect by far is that the wonderfully brilliant and talented staff at the Showroom have been furloughed since mid-March, so I’ve taken on the roles of programming, communications, marketing, copy editing, tech support, - you name it (!) But, to be honest, I think I’m misrepresenting the amount of work I’ve done alone. Each time I reach out to someone to volunteer to help they always say ‘yes’. Local filmmaker, Lewis Coates, put a cool little promo trailer together for the season, which is great because we had zero money for marketing. Melanie Iredale from Sheffield Doc/Fest is fresh from the online part of Doc/Fest 2020 and she is volunteering her time to help me on the tech side of things and it has been invaluable to have her experience by my side. Vicky Halsall who is the only non-furloughed staff member from the Showroom has been an absolute joy to work with – we have different expertise and strengths and we are learning so much from each other as we put this together. And all of the academics who are volunteering their time to help engage with Showroom audiences have been so warm and giving and supportive from the beginning. So, I guess the short answer to your questions is, I’ve been able to overcome any challenges by reaching out to the local community to help put it together.
Q. Is there a particular talk you’re most looking forward to watching?
All of them! I became an academic in film because I love learning about film. I’m not an expert in any of the areas that will be explored during the Showroom Summer Season, so when I’m not worrying about all the possible tech disasters that might happen on the night, I’ll be taking notes during the talks and watching the recommended films on MUBI or BFI Player straight afterwards.
Q. Why do you think it’s important to keep Sheffield’s film community connected?
There are so many ways to enjoy watching film and sitting at home is definitely one way. Unfortunately, it’s been the only way since lockdown. The social aspect of film is not replicated by online streaming platforms or by the television set in our living rooms. For film communities, the social side of film happens in our favourite film venues – that could be a community centre, a multiplex, or, in the case of the Showroom, an independent cinema. Not having access to the Showroom has been a huge loss to the cultural life of Sheffield and for the social lives of so many people who live here. The Showroom Summer Season endeavours to bring Sheffield’s film community back together in an online social space until the Showroom can open its doors once more.
