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“Silents by the Sea” festival heads to Morecambe

By John Freeman on May 17, 2024

Northern Silents is presenting Silents by The Sea, a new festival celebrating classic cinema with live music, at Morecambe’s historic Winter Gardens theatre, next month.

The film programme includes discussions on silent film, and the screening of classics such as Charlie Chaplin’s heartwarming comedy, The Kid, and the original 1925 big-screen adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World.

Tickets are available to book here.

Northern Silents fuses new music with film to create inspiring live events across the North of England.

“More than a century ago, a new technology swept the world, changing societies and giving birth to a new art form – the cinema,” the organisation explains. “Silent moving images usually unfolded with musical accompaniment; maybe a pianist or organist, a trio or small ensemble, sometimes an orchestra. A film could travel the world, bringing the same experience to audiences wherever it was projected – but the music was local and live.

“Northern Silents reimagines – sometimes radically – a relationship between film and live music. Musicians from diverse genres and backgrounds bring new sonic life to the first chapter of cinema history, alongside classics of experimental film and, occasionally, new silent film. Jazz and folk, experimental musicians, specialist silent film players, classical artists, brass bands, ensembles and orchestras – all contribute to Northern Silents’ programme.”

Northern Silents presents a year-round programme and Northern Silent Film Festival every October and – new this June – Silents by the Sea in Morecambe. They screen a wide variety of films, working with archives around the world to bring newly restored and rarely-seen titles to audiences in Northern England. Their unique live events take place in cinemas and theatres, music venues and concert halls, heritage buildings and village halls across the North of England.

• Silents by the Sea 8th – 9th June 2024, Morecambe Winter Gardens, LA4 4BU | Book tickets here via Ticket Tailor

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.