Swadlincote is set to host the premiere of 'Tales from the Magic Attic', a documentary highlighting the town's rich history and the dedicated volunteers preserving it. The film will be shown at Swadlincote Town Hall on Sunday, 15 November 2026, with screenings starting at 2pm and 4:30pm.
The 50-minute film offers an in-depth look at The Magic Attic, Swadlincote’s unique volunteer-run community archive. It explores the remarkable stories, memories, and historical treasures housed within its walls, showcasing the cultural heartbeat of the town in South Derbyshire. The archive, affectionately known as ‘The Magic Attic’, holds a vast collection, including local newspapers, miners' lamps, pottery, home movies, and over 35,000 photographs, many salvaged from a skip.
The documentary captures the archive's journey from a collection of salvaged newspapers to a vibrant cultural hub, sustained entirely by volunteers. Through intimate interviews, these individuals share personal stories of discovery, from uncovering family secrets and forgotten community moments to the preservation of objects like a chandelier from Westminster Abbey. These narratives underscore the archive's role in fostering connection, memory, and identity within the community.
'Tales from the Magic Attic' is culturally significant for its celebration of grassroots preservation and community heritage. It delves into Swadlincote’s history, tracing its evolution from the coal mining and pottery industries through periods of industrial decline to its eventual regeneration. The film highlights how ordinary people are safeguarding their town's stories, ensuring they are not lost to time.
Featuring evocative visuals, including drone shots of regenerated areas and intimate scenes of tea time at the archive, the film demonstrates the vital role of this modest archive as a cultural touchstone. In an increasingly digitised world, 'Tales from the Magic Attic' serves as a compelling reminder of the enduring power of tangible history and the magic found in preserving shared human stories.
The film was produced by a team of creatives and researchers funded by Liverpool John Moores University over three years, from June 2022 to June 2025. Dr Eleanor Yule, a lecturer in Film Studies at LJMU, led the team, drawing on her background in film and television.
Dr Yule described the project as "a unique opportunity to work with a group of dedicated volunteers who had saved the history of the town from a skip and managed to preserve it and share it with their local community. They have helped many to reclaim and recover stories which would have otherwise have been lost, as well as supporting them emotionally through times of adversity. The film is a love letter to the Attic but also to all of England’s rich and diverse local communities."
The documentary is presented as a poignant and uplifting portrait of a community committed to preserving its narrative. It explores the significance of physical traces of the past in an age of digital and disposable information, celebrating the ordinary individuals who safeguard local heritage.
For attendance details, interested individuals are invited to contact the Visitor Information Centre at info@visitsouthderbyshire.co.uk.
