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OPD Pathway Collaborative Filmmaking Projects

Collaborative filmmaking with people on probation

In 2025 we were invited to work with service users within the London OPD Pathway to help them create their own animated film on themes and a creative direction of their choosing. We supported this process through leading various workshops looking at some of the core skills that go into making a film: Scripting, Storyboarding, Animating, Filming and Editing.


Stills from men’s film: Pathways to Open Doors


CREDITS
Workshop Facilitators Isolde Godfrey, Claire Nolan & Jess Harvey

The experience for us working with the groups was incredible. Everyone came to each session with loads of enthusiasm and bursting with ideas. Everything you see in the films was done by the groups - the writing, filming, audio recording, stop-motion and hand drawn animation. I’m so impressed with what they created.
— Isolde Godfrey
This project was a total joy from start to end. I was blown away by the generosity of the groups and the staff. It’s a lot to ask of people to open themselves up creatively especially if it’s not something they have done much of before and we were lucky to be placed with groups of people so eager to try things out. I hope the end product goes to show what can be achieved in a fairly short amount of time, for me the films are a beautiful example of collaborative work and I hope everyone involved is proud of what they produced.
— Claire Nolan
It’s been truly inspiring to see so much creativity and all of the ideas that came pinging out of the sessions. It’s difficult to know what to expect from a group of people you’ve not met or worked with before – how comfortable they’ll feel with each other... being creative can feel incredibly vulnerable at times – so was a joy to witness and be in space with such a creative group and energising group.
— Jess Harvey

Stills from women’s film: HERSTORY


Reflections

You have to create opportunities for yourself. This workshop gave us the space to be creative, and we ran with it!
— Workshop Participant
The team effort on this project was incredible! It’s such a great way to build confidence and bring ideas to life!
— Dr Kimberly Barker, Lead for Inclusion and Involvement (I&I), London OPD Pathway
So touching and meaningful. It really boosted the service users’ confidence. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it!
— Anonymous, Probation Officer
As a beginner, this workshop was a real eye-opener. I picked up skills I can carry with me for the rest of my life
— Workshop participant
The film was amazing, the techniques, the quality, everything. It was really powerful. Fantastic work by everyone involved!
— Heidi Cutts, Inclusion and Involvement (I&I) team, London OPD Pathways
I loved the film, it was so moving and really stayed with me. Amazing work!
— Gigi, Inclusion and Involvement (I&I) Support Worker, London OPD Pathway