“With Coal we have light, strength, power, wealth, and civilisation;
without Coal we have darkness, weakness, poverty and barbarism.”
‘Coal Catechism’ by William Jasper Nicolls, 1906.

The BFI presents an ambitious project which will explore and celebrate Britain’s 20th century industrial heritage and its impact on our social, economic and political life. Launching in 8 September 2009 This Working Life: King Coal, features a special presentation by Lee Hall (award-winning writer of Billy Elliot) one of a number of special guests who will bring to life the fascinating film record of British coalmining.

The project will continue with further explorations of our industrial heritage on screen focusing on the shipbuilding and steel industries in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Through a wide range of engaging film screenings and related activities, This Working Life aims to reach a broad audience of all ages and across the UK, from those whose lives were directly affected by the subject matter, to those who are unaware of the significant role these major industries have played in Britain’s recent history.

This Working Life: King Coal, September

The first strand of this three-year project will focus upon coal and the immense effect it has had on Britain for centuries, covering a wide range of topics and themes including working conditions, domestic life, the myth of the miner, mining communities, and the 1984 miners’ strike. Central to King Coal will be a season of newly preserved and rarely-seen films from the remarkable film and television material held by the BFI National Archive, including the National Coal Board Film Unit collection (1947-1987) which ranges through fiction, documentary and animation. Most of these films have not been seen since their original release and offer a fascinating picture of British life.

The King Coal Film Season launches on 8 September 2009 at BFI Southbank and will BFI Southbank special exhibition At BFI Southbank a special two month exhibition (6 August – 4 October) will feature posters, photographs and related materials offering further insights into the rich history of this little known area of British documentary film-making.

King Coal on Tour To further extend the project’s reach nationally, a touring version of the film season will be available for booking by community groups across the UK, including local film societies and working men’s clubs in former mining areas

 Portrait of a Miner (£24.99

On 21 September the BFI releases DVD collection of films from the National Coal Board Film Unit exploring a century of coalmining on screen, and featuring an illustrated booklet with new essays and film notes.

The BFI’s website will also be used to extend engagement with this project, including a feature on the home page and extensive additional resources in our dedicated online education zone, BFI Screenonline, which is accessed for free by millions of schoolchildren and students across the UK every year. BFI members will receive a free film download from the BFI Mediatheques

King Coal at the BFI Mediatheques (BFI Southbank and QUAD, Derby) will feature a collection of 40 titles, including a selection not available in any other part of the project.

The BFI National Archive holds the world’s most significant collection of film and television material and information, with around 60,000 fiction titles, 120,000 nonfiction titles and over 675,000 television programmes.

Additionally this national collection contains the recorded proceedings of both Houses of Parliament, 45,000 books on film and television related topics, 25,000 scripts, 4 million stills, 15,000 posters, thousands of press books, set designs and extensive collections of the personal papers of filmmakers also be shown in September at our partner venue for this project, the Sheffield Showroom, an independent four screen cinema situated in the heart of Sheffield’s Cultural Industries Quarter.

Screening notes and special education and community activities featuring directors and leading specialists will be used to extend audiences’ enjoyment and appreciation of these films.

As always we love to bring you good news, wait, no, we love to bring you great news and it doesn’t get any better than this. The New Current (for our second time) are heading to The Big Chill Festival 2009.

This year the guys are really going all out, from Zombie movies being made, records being broke, to a once in a lifetime chance to meet the founder of Woodstock, yes, that Woodstock, Michael Lang who is going to open this years festival.

There is so much to share and to get out there before the festival starts, the count down as already begun and we are going to make sure you get all the news, reviews, and features from this years incredible Big Chill festival.

The Big Chill is more than just a music festival and has proven since it was created to be one of the few festivals that offers more to those who want something different from a summer festival.

These are some of the Festival Highlights and more information can be found on The Big Chill Website:
 
Film

Thursday will also see an invasion of the undead as Film4 and Warp Films invite Chillers to take part in an attempt to secure an entry into the Guinness Book of Records by shooting the world’s first and largest audience participation zombie motion picture. A downloadable movie, available at the end of the festival, will hopefully capture the largest-ever number of zombies on camera.
 
Ensuring the nerve jangling does not stop there, Film4 will proceed to screen an all-nighter of eerie flicks.
 
Through the festival, Film4 will present the Dereliction Drive-In, of deserted and abandoned cars, among, on and in which, Chillers may roam, sit and crash out. As screens play ghostly re-mixes of classic and imagined road movies, car stereos will crackle with soundtracks specially recorded by guest artists and DJs.

This year will also see the all new Film4 Cinema Tent, where super cool road movies will be shown, hot on the heels of their amazing success with Slumdog Millionaire, alongside Bollywood and Bollywood-inspired classics. And Bollywood dance classes will be held in tandem for those who wish to don their salwar kameez and cut some shapes in front of the silver screen.

This will also be the home for The BFI, who along with The ICA, return for a second year. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the moon landing and the international year of astronomy, they will each curate a unique mix of feature length and short films, live scores and talks.
 
Comedy

Held in the rural idyll of Eastnor Castle Deer Park, The Big Chill 2009 will also host the cream of comedy.
 
Having wooed and wowed Chillers in equal numbers at the festival last year, with a triumphant headline appearance on the main stage with his Boosh sidekicks, Noel Fielding will be back with a solo stand up show in the Coop.
 
Joining him on Saturday afternoon for a triple header of huge stars will be Dylan Moran and Russell Howard.
 
Now an established stop-off for top performers, this year will see the festival awash with award winners and Edinburgh’s finest. Underbelly return to the Big Chill Nights Tent with a witty contingent comprising Barry Castagnola (MC), Stephen Grant, Terry Saunders, Jerry O’Donnell, Ray Peacock, Sean Hughes, Pierre Hollins, Ben Norris, Marcus Birdman, Rob Rouse, Mitch Benn, Ian Stone, Craig Campbell and Josie Long.

Cabaret and Circus

Circus ensemble NoFit State will bring their family show and workshops to the festival, as well as a specially devised after midnight performance for adults only.
 
The kooky and strange Perverse Universe return with aerial acrobatics and cabaret. Expect a weekend of aerial circus and awe-inspiring fire shows. All rounded off by Jonny Woo’s deliciously wicked variety show spectacular, featuring Gay Bingo and Hot Breath Karaoke.

Photography, Art and Spoken Word

World famous photographer Rankin – a man who has snapped everyone from Tony Blair to the Queen, via the likes of Kate Moss and her celebrity contemporaries –  is inviting festival-goers to take part in his unique live and interactive exhibition concept Rankin Live!
 
Before he shoots and instantly prints the portraits of 1,000 Brits at his museum-scale exhibition in August, Rankin is holding an open call process for people aged 13 and over, the only criteria of which is a distinctive style, with sense of British eccentricity and enthusiasm.
 
Normally a Brick Lane neighbour of the festival’s Big Chill Bar, the Art Car Boot Fair has presented an astonishing selection of exciting art works and art wares from some of the UK’s foremost artists since 2004, including Gavin Turk, Sir Peter Blake, Bob and Roberta Smith, Stuart Semple and Tracey Emin.
 
Heading for the hills on a rural road trip away from its familiar east London home, one of the country’s most innovative art fairs will park up The Big Chill 2009. As a ‘fete within the festival’ it will be a haven for both browsers and bargain hunters throughout the weekend.
 
With its own Village Green at the heart of festival, Chillers will also be able to play the human fruit machine Yoo Froot! and enjoy a karaoke sing along with the fabulous East End party house, the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.
 
Artist Henry Krokatsis has been working closely with the Art Trail curator Alice Sharp developing his ideas to respond to Eastnor Castle’s landscape and festival setting.
 
He will create a ten metre high ‘helter-skelter-lighthouse’ as a centre piece for the festival. It will be situated on the lake by the main stage and illuminated after dark by festoons wrapped around its skeleton.
 
Word In Motion offers a programme featuring word gamesters from all walks of life – authors, comedians, lyricists, late night storytellers and lovers of language bring a weekend of entertainment with a difference.
 
Apples and Snakes return to the tent with their offering of fresh and funky spoken words. Ursula Rucker is also back to headline, along with eminent UK street poets, the legendary Liverpool poet Brian Patten and the remarkable, cooler than a cucumber, author, broadcaster and performer Lemn Sissay.
 
The talks programme is introduced by publisher James Brown and will feature Tony Benn and music mogul and festival producer Vince Power.

The Victorian Funfair and Kids Zone

Experience some Victorian time-warp fun as you gallop with glee on the Pony ride Carousel, or get high in the sky over the festival on the helter skelter as the Victorian Funfair returns to The Big Chill, along with its 19th century flat-capped and bonneted crew.

Enchanted Garden

With the 15th birthday celebrations this year, The Big Chill has been looking back to its roots and redefining what it means to chill out. Set in a beautiful woodland space and placing equal emphasis on surroundings and performance, Stop the City will be the place to escape the rat race. It will feature artists, sound-based installations and visuals that lie far from mainstream life. Expect anything from found sounds, classical to minimalist electronic perhaps with a dose of interactivity.
 
The area will also feature a knitting area, Crap Stage, the Busker’s Stage, in association with SolarAid, tethered balloon, therapies and Monkey Shoulder.
 
The Crap Stage is calling all bands, magicians, contortionists, poets, orators and assorted musicians to perform this year. Traditional backline and costumes provided but please feel free to bring your ukulele and a sense of humour to join in on a first come first served basis.
 
Following on from the eccentric and joyous delights of last year’s presence; The Buskers are returning with performing pirates, Dr Butlers Hatstand Medicine Band and the debut festival appearance of Another Fine Day’s new acoustic project based around the Hang Drum and the Aray Mbira.
 
SolarAid, a charity that empowers the world’s poorest communities to create clean renewable power, have hooked up with the festival to create The Busker Stage.