Public Health Animation in Leeds

Leeds Animation Workshop (LAW) is a not-for-profit cooperative company established in 1978 and run by women. It produces and distributes animated films on social, health and educational issues, with international distribution. Subjects include childcare, violence against women, bereavement, child protection, parenting and relationships, gender and equal opportunities, bullying and homelessness. LAW has created films for audiences with learning difficulties and provides training in basic animation for adults and young people.

The LAW archive is a unique survival. It is the only complete archive of a collective independent filmmaking organisation. The archive is key to understanding the production of public information films and provides a counterpoint to ‘establishment’ films of the period. This is an essential national and international resource for exploring intersections between feminist activism, creative practice, and public health information.

The project will:

Secure the archive in a publicly accessible repository, appraised, organised and repackaged to archival standards.

Create an online catalogue with detailed index points to enable network mapping and exploration.

Showcase interdisciplinary research opportunities, and create new research networks through the University of Leeds and beyond.

Embed the archive in research led teaching and lifelong learning, including online delivery.