Monday 13 May

Mia

Bright and early on Monday morning, I set off from Bracknell train station, packed and ready for the week ahead. After all the anticipation, the day for the Grierson residential was finally here, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

After spending the first half of the journey relaxing and going through my notes, I met up with Carol and the rest of the cohort for the last two legs of the trip. We spent the train ride getting to know one another and taking in the countryside scenery.

Upon arriving at Buxton station, we were taken to our accommodation, where we met the rest of the team. I quickly found that Yen, Sylvia, Tanya, Hannah, and Carol were all so kind and welcoming, instantly putting any anticipatory nerves at ease. We spent some time looking around and getting settled in, feeling incredibly grateful for the beautiful accommodation chosen for us, before engaging in an icebreaker activity with Yen. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about everyone.

After being served a delicious meal by Sylvia, who is an absolutely excellent cook, we went on a short walk outside. While the elements definitely tried to discourage us, I can say quite proudly that we took it in our stride. The view was beautiful, and I was amazed by the number of sheep and lambs roaming freely. I couldn’t help but pull out my phone and take lots of photos and videos.

Finally, we ended the night with some games before heading into our rooms for some much-needed rest, ready for the busy day ahead of us.

Alice

Waking up and realizing it was finally the big day to head up to Buxton could not have been more exciting. I was so keen to meet my fellow DocLab New Entrants, the Grierson team, and uncover what the week had in store for us.

I sat next to Martha on the train from London. It was great to chat and begin to get to know each other. When we arrived in Stockport to catch our next train, we found the rest of our cohort and all laughed about how it felt like the start of The Traitors. While our train was significantly more normal than the steam engines in the show, we shared a similar excitement spotting each other for the first time on the platform.

When we finally arrived at the residential, it felt absolutely surreal. We had all found ourselves in a 17th-century coaching inn in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of doc-obsessed strangers. We immediately jumped right into talking about documentaries with Carol Nahra, our facilitator for the week. She kicked us off by giving us an overview of technical terms and insights into how so many well-loved docuseries are made.

We ended the evening with a delicious taco night made by Sylvia, who has as much film/TV festival insider expertise as top-notch cooking skills. After our delicious dinner, we headed out into the fields to stretch our legs, meet the endless sheep, and enjoy the incredible scenery. Later in the evening, I discovered my newfound love of the game Werewolves after many highly competitive games that became a true bonding highlight of the residential.

Martha

I woke up bright and early on Monday, and feeling a little nervous headed to the tube to get my train to Euston. Waving bye to my Dad I felt a sense of nostalgia – like I was off on a school trip. I arrived at Euston and quite quickly bumped into some of the Grierson DocLab lot from Brighton, we chatted until we got to our various different carriages. After a couple hours we changed trains at Stockport where we met Tanya and Carol, everyone was excited as we boarded the last train to Buxton.

Sylvia, Hannah and Yen picked us up in cars and drove us through the glorious country roads until we reached our cottage. We were shown to our rooms, had some time to unpack and were then straight into introductions and icebreaker activities, which included two truths and a lie and a survival game. Sylvia then dished us up some amazing dinner and introduced us to a new game called Werewolves. Similar to The Traitors you have to work out who is a Werewolf in the group. We played a few rounds and definitely broke the ice as we accused each other of lying! After that it was time for bed as we prepared for our first full day of training.

Tuesday 14 May

Bea

Tuesday was our first full day in Buxton. After an evening of getting to know the rest of the Grierson DocLab trainees and playing a couple of rounds of the card game Werewolf, we started the morning with a comprehensive grounding in the history of British documentaries and the current landscape of television.

I enjoyed understanding the context of documentaries in the UK. Our trainer, Carol, began with the father of documentary John Grierson and his landmark film Night Mail. Carol introduced us to John Grierson's idea of documentaries being defined as 'the creative treatment of actuality'. This view of documentary-making was a brilliant way of defining the purpose of documentaries and how they should be viewed.

We were then shown how documentaries have developed over the last 70 years. From the groundbreaking observational series The Family to the rise of fixed-rig shows like Big Brother and 24 Hours in A&E, this was a good way of understanding how technology and social attitudes have changed television. As a TV obsessive, it was great to be introduced to so many influential programs, and it massively increased my TV watch list.

Our session with Will Rowson was our first introduction to industry professionals. He gave us helpful insight into the current climate of the television industry and what we can do to use the change in the industry to our advantage. Having worked at Channel 4 and now the Creative Director of Dragonfly North, his experience was invaluable to us as new entrants. I asked him specifically about the practical and ethical decisions made to start filming a contributor in times of personal crisis. Will discuss what happens on the programs he works on like Ambulance. We also talk about the emerging role of welfare producers in TV and how their work is changing the television culture.

All in all, the morning was a brilliant way to start the residential week. It provided a great foundation of knowledge to build upon, and it just made me more excited about the industry and what it could be like to work in it.

Lucy

Our first full day of the residential program began with breakfast, taking in the stunning Peak District views and watching the cute sheep that had gathered on the hills. It was lovely to have this time in the morning to get to know the other trainees some more and – most importantly – share tactics on how best to get a selfie with the sheep.

After a presentation by Carol on the history and evolution of factual programs, it was our turn to have a go at pitching some established formats. Split into groups of two, we were each assigned a well-known format that we were to pitch to the group as if it were a new, unheard-of idea. Ren and I were given Race Across the World – score! I am a massive fan of the show and have always wanted to apply to be on it with my mum (if any of the casting team are reading, you know where to find me!).

We were given 20 minutes to develop a two-minute pitch selling the established format that we had renamed as Globetrotters. Working on this exercise showed me just how fleshed out formats are even before they are greenlit, and helped me to understand how a format moves from pitch to production. We had lots of fun guessing the formats pitched by each of the groups and received some invaluable feedback to take into our online week pitches!

Ren Scott-Bridge

As a group, we considered a range of documentaries including Uprising, Born to Be Different, and The Family. We discussed the notion of authentic storytelling and the ethical imperative to foster trust between collaborators and to encourage and celebrate diverse voices.

On a group call with Will Rowson, Creative Director at Banijay’s Dragonfly North, we watched and discussed extracts from Ambulance, a series by Dragonfly. The show offers a unique perspective on contemporary societal issues through a medical lens. Episodes tackling the cost of living and mental health crises highlight the show's commitment to reflecting real-world challenges. By combining fixed-rig and roving single-camera techniques, Ambulance captures the sense of urgency within the emergency services, pointing to the scarcity of resources.

Together, we learned about the vital role that welfare producers play in supporting contributors throughout the process of production and beyond. Their responsibilities extend to addressing ethical considerations, supporting contributors' well-being, and managing potential post-release challenges such as online trolling, ensuring a holistic approach to contributor care.

Later, we had the opportunity to speak with Robert Hunter, Development Executive (and Grierson DocLab Alum!), to discuss the intricacies of true crime documentaries and the process of pitching ideas in the competitive world of factual programming. We touched on the importance of health and safety in production, appreciating how the well-being of crew and participants is paramount, particularly when working in potentially hazardous or sensitive environments.

We rounded off this incredible day by watching Subject – a documentary that delves into the ethical complexities of featuring in a factual programme. The film comprises a series of interviews with participants from well-known documentaries like Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack, and Minding the Gap, and explores how the lives of these collaborators have been affected by their involvement.

Wednesday 15 May

Edie

Day Three of the residential was kicked off with a virtual visit from The Garden’s Spencer Kelly and Dee Kahlon. Spencer and Dee’s session focused largely on The Garden’s hit blue-light series, 24 hours in A&E and Emergency, and gave us with an in-depth insight into how these programmes are created. Our discussion covered everything from the legal and ethical issues surrounding filming consent, to the technical aspects of fixed-rig productions. Whilst 10am may have been a little early to be watching scenes of graphic injury, I found Dee and Spencer’s advice within the session to be beyond useful – believe me, I took 4 pages worth of notes!

Later on in the day, we all flocked to the sofas for a screening of Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland. I had never seen the series before, but after watching one episode as a taster, I will be sure to watch the rest! After the screening, we had the opportunity to speak to an AP on the series, Dora Baker. I found our conversation with Dora to be one of the week’s highlights, as her insights into navigating the industry and career progression were invaluable to a new entrant looking to break into the industry. Aside from all else, I was just extremely jealous of Dora’s role on Once Upon a Time as the research and archive aspects of this project directly appeal to my interests.

After the training portion of the day was over, the group embarked on an expedition into our magnificent countryside surroundings. It was just what we needed after such a busy day of learning, that and a very competitive, late-night game of werewolf!

Esme

We had another intense day packed with activities and learning! We started the day with a Zoom call with Spencer Kelly and Dee Kahlon from The Garden, in which we discussed the nature of fixed rig shows and obtaining consent when working in such intimate and sensitive environments.

We settled down after another memorable lunch (thanks, Sylvia!) to watch Once Upon a Time in Nothern Ireland. This was great to watch as a group ahead of our call with Dora Baker, archive producer on the show. The documentary manages to pull together incredible pieces of archive footage while contrasting participants with two polar opposite views in a sustained and delicate way. It was super interesting asking Dora about the process of obtaining and selecting archival footage and learning how long it can take for different projects!

We continued to work on our documentary proposals ahead of the upcoming pitch, where we would be sharing our ideas in front of everyone. Working in groups made this task feel manageable and exciting – it was great to bounce off one another when thinking of ideas and how to develop them. Most of us went on a lovely walk in the hills after eating The Last Supper. The views of the sunset and rolling hills were amazing, and just what we needed to digest another delicious feast courtesy of Sylvia.

Upon returning to the Mermaid Inn, we watched two short films: The Black Cop by Cherish Oteka (who was on Grierson DocLab back in 2016) and Missed Call by Victoria Mapplebeck. Both of these shorts were beautifully created and interestingly explored films. I loved the way that The Black Cop incorporated childhood photos projected onto the participant G; it was a really beautiful way of visually telling a story of such pain, hatred, and resilience. After discussing and dissecting the shorts, most of us stayed up for a bit for a final night of Werewolves, a really nice way to wind down with (and wind up!) the rest of the DocLabbers!

Lena

Day three was another incredible day that started with waking up once again to a field of sheep with a beautiful sunrise backdrop.

We started with a talk featuring Spencer Kelly and Dee Kahlon from The Garden. They shared fascinating insights from Squid Game: The Challenge and 24 Hours in A&E. I asked about the differences between filming a show like Squid Game and Blue Light shows, and their responses were enlightening, giving me a better understanding of what I could expect when I begin my placement wherever it may be. We also watched a few gripping clips from 24 Hours in A&E, which were used to talk us through the creation of Blue Light shows.

Carol then led a session on documentary subgenres and formats, expanding our understanding of the industry's creative possibilities.

Lunch was a highlight, thanks to Sylvia's amazing jacket potatoes. Realizing it was one of her last meals for us, I took notes on her culinary techniques to recreate her recipes at home (update: didn’t turn out anywhere near as good…).

We then watched Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, which I thoroughly enjoyed and got me excited to watch Once Upon a Time in Iraq as soon as I get home. Dora, one of the creative minds behind the documentary, joined us afterward for a discussion. This is one of the best parts of the Grierson DocLab experience – watching great documentaries and meeting their creators right after – feeling incredibly lucky!

We then shared our pitch ideas for the online week. Everyone had inspiring ideas, and I found Carol’s feedback invaluable, boosting my confidence and excitement to get started on creating my pitch.

In the evening, we watched The Black Cop and Missed Call, along with their BAFTA Award acceptance speeches – emotional. Black Cop introduced me to a new documentary style, and Missed Call, filmed entirely on a phone, resonated with me and motivated me to get started on my own projects.

I took some time to recharge before another intense game of Werewolves. Suspicion was high, and although I was voted out after three rounds (still not a werewolf!), it was a great way to end the final night.

Thursday 16 May

Tawana

…And just like that, it was our last day in the Peak District. I knew it would fly by, but I was still surprised by how fast it went! We started our last morning with a relaxed breakfast as we reflected on highlights from the week. We also finished watching Carol’s home movie, which she had made of the years leading to her son’s 18th birthday, on YouTube, and I have to say, we were all extremely invested by the end. We then dived back into our work, and for our final exercise, we got into groups of three to share our individual pitch ideas with the cohort. The room would then vote for the pitch that we, as a group, would go on to develop and present in the afternoon.

My group consisted of Esme, Bea, and me, and after deliberation, we decided to prepare Esme’s idea for our group pitch. It was really fun to bounce ideas off one another, and we gained a lot of inspiration from the week, which helped bring Esme’s vision to life. After a couple of hours and yet another amazing meal from Sylvia, we all presented our pitches. It was a great way to build our confidence and receive further advice from everyone. Yen then gave us a short presentation about what to expect and how to prepare for the rest of the training program. I think this is when everything started to properly sink in, and I felt really excited for all that is still to come.

As the time came for us to leave for the train station, the rain came in full force, and we were halted by the realisation of a flat car battery, all of which made for quite a dramatic exit from the Peaks indeed. Eventually, we all made it to Buxton train station in one piece and arrived in Stockport, with some of us left with an hour to fill until our connecting trains. So, we spent it unwinding in a nearby pub, where we all realized how close we had become in only four days of knowing each other. We sadly then said our goodbyes until we were to meet again virtually in three weeks. I spent my train ride home thinking about how lucky I am to have been able to spend a week in such a beautiful place with the most wonderful company!

Sara

We awoke on Thursday morning rather groggy after a long night punctuated by viewing parties (where we watched 2016 DocLab alumni Cherish Oteka’s BAFTA award-winning short The Black Cop) and endless games of Werewolves (shoutout to everyone at Grierson for introducing me to such an addictive game!). Around the breakfast table, we all seemed to be as much in agreement about our tiredness after an intense few days of training as our wish that the residential was longer, which is definitely a testament to the Trust’s hospitality (huge props to Trust Director/master chef Sylvia for making us such amazing meals throughout the week), and the expertise of Carol and the industry speakers, as well as our cohort's loveliness.

We sat down in our groups of three to finalise our group pitches which had been decided on the day before, after all of us took a vote on the most compelling and cohesive concept to develop. Our group worked on the unbelievably talented Lena’s concept on divorce culture, where we made decisions spanning format, visual style, narrative arc, and genre, taking stylistic inspiration from documentaries such as Oteka’s The Black Cop, as well as Honeyland and To Kill a Tiger. Something that kept coming up throughout the development of our concept, and the subsequent group pitches, was the importance of sociopolitical and cultural contexts to give meaning to documentary ideas, hammering home the indispensable nature of the genre, which gives audiences access and insight into experiences and events that may otherwise be obscured or unknown. Carol offered us great constructive feedback on how to change our pitch style and content for future pitching exercises, and we spoke a little about the individual concepts we’d like to pitch to industry figures during our online week, gaining some initial feedback on how to tighten up the focus of our ideas over the next few weeks.

After a pep talk from Yen, who outlined our next steps for the remainder of the scheme, as well as urging us to reflect on our own personal goals and outcomes for the next year, we began the long journey back, where we all remarked upon the uniqueness of the scheme. It is so rare to meet so many new people, let alone a group of people where we all share the same major interests. Throughout the week, our conversations both in-and-outside of the training schedule were interspersed with phrases like “oh, it’s like that documentary where…” or “That’s really cool, have you seen…?” It genuinely feels as though we have been given a little community, and I am super excited to see everyone again at the online week, as well as in person at the Sheffield DocFest in mid-June. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for the 2024 cohort, who are all so talented and have such amazing ability to create interesting ideas and offer unique perspectives, and I feel so grateful to be part of a group where we are all able to grow and develop together in an industry that means so much to all of us. A big thank you to Tanya, Hannah, Sylvia, Carol, and Yen for all your hard work during our stay, as well as the duration of the scheme and beyond. Roll on Sheffield!

Jessica

The last day of the residential started like the previous days, with breakfast and conversations around the table. Everyone was reminiscing about the time we had and in agreement about how fast the time had gone. Our usual documentary discussions persisted until it was time to officially start.

On the day before, we had to vote on a pitch that we, as a group, would work on for the last day. Lucy’s idea of Seeking Sunlight was the favourite, and so Lucy, Martha, and I had the morning to work on a formulated pitch for the group. Our pitch, Seeking Sunlight, centred around the lack of lesbian bars with windows and one couple’s journey to create a bar in London (La Camionera), which would be the first above-ground lesbian bar. I had a lot of fun working with my group and developing our idea. We created a full PowerPoint and included lots of interesting content.

After lunchtime, we all packed our bags and got ready to present our pitches. We received lots of useful feedback from Yen and Carol that will be important for future pitches and exercises. I loved watching everyone else’s pitches and seeing the work they put into their presentations. I thought that all the ideas presented were unique and interesting in various ways.

After our pitches were done, we all said goodbye to each other as we went in groups to the train station. Despite the rain and wet weather, we were all still in high spirits and chatted all the way.