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Young Filmmakers Uncover Untold Stories of WWII Munitions Workers
15 Nov
Summary
- Wentworth Woodhouse to host "Big House, Short Films" festival
- Young filmmakers explore personal heritage and identity
- 17-year-old Ava Lockey's film focuses on her grandmother's WWII munitions work
On November 15, 2025, Wentworth Woodhouse will host the "Big House, Short Films" festival, featuring a series of films created by young people exploring the meaning of heritage. The event is part of the Perception Busters project, a youth-led initiative developed by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust for Rotherham's Children's Capital of Culture 2025.
The films cover a range of personal stories, from a woman's experience making munitions during World War II to a teenager's quest to embrace his Viking heritage. One of the young filmmakers, 17-year-old Ava Lockey, chose to focus her film on her grandmother, Hilda Hutton, who worked at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Maltby manufacturing Lee-Enfield rifles and STEN submachine guns for British troops.
Another film, a mockumentary by 17-year-old Pia Woods, follows a teen who becomes "obsessed with the idea of becoming a Viking" after discovering he is 1% Viking. The films aim to challenge societal notions that people must conform to a particular cultural identity to find their true selves.
Victoria Ryves of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust said the Perception Busters project has "empowered young people to connect with their past and take pride in their present."
