Stepney Western is an experimental documentary by Harry Lawson, made in collaboration with a group of young inner-city horse riders from Stepney Bank Stables in the Ouseburn Valley. It is loosely centred on their Alternative Provision programme, a unique alternative for young people in Newcastle who struggle in mainstream education settings. Recasting Byker as the Wild West, the film sits at the porous boundary between fact and fiction, combining recontextualised iPhone clips shot by the riders and archival material with Lawson’s own footage.
This event meanders through the North East’s equine history — past, present and future. Featuring clips from North East Film Archive, Amber Films’ Eden Valley (1995) and Seacoal (1985), as well as the hugely popular CBBC show The Stables, which was filmed at Stepney Bank Stables twenty years ago, we arrive at Stepney Western with an insight into its broader social contexts and influences.
There will also be a sneak peak of Stepney Horror, a spin-off film being produced by some of the young people at Stepney. Filmmakers and participants will be present to answer questions and discuss their work.