Headwaters \\ Scalarama Merseyside

A journey across the Wirral peninsula, Headwaters, curated by Michael Pierce and Monika Rodriguez of Scalarama Merseyside, invited us to explore our connections with water through hidden rivers, oral histories and film archives. Taking place both online and in physical open-air spaces, Headwaters used local heritage and archive footage as a starting point for discussion; examining the environmental impact of film, activism around water and imagined hydropunk futures. Headwaters demonstrated how community cinemas and water are used for healing and recovery, and why both need to be respected and protected. 

The Headwaters programme 2021:

Wed 16 June | Show and Flow, online via Zoom

Wed 23 June | Turbulent Flow, online via Zoom

Fri 2 July | Headwaters: Natural Flow ft. Song of the Sea, Bidston Observatory, Birkenhead

Sat 10 October | Future Flow, Bloom Building, Birkenhead

These screening and discussion events were accompanied by a series of journal posts in which Michael and Monika share their process and discoveries over the 7 weeks of the festival and beyond.

Headwaters was curated by Scalarama Merseyside and produced by Abandon Normal Devices. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, Wirral Council and Film Hub North, proud to be part of the BFI Film Audience Network.

Image: Visual description: Aerial shot of Birkenhead Park’s Serpentine lake and with Roman Boathouse. Credit: Photo by Ryan Warburton on Unsplash