Tales from the Magic Attic documentary set for community premiere in Swadlincote
A heartwarming documentary celebrating Swadlincote’s rich history and the dedicated volunteers helping to preserve it, is set to premiere at Swadlincote Town Hall on Sunday 15 November 2026.
Tales from the Magic Attic will be shown at two special community screenings, with guests invited to arrive from 2pm for the first screening and 4.30pm for the second.
The 50-minute documentary offers a fascinating insight into The Magic Attic, Swadlincote’s unique volunteer-run community archive, and the remarkable stories, memories and historical treasures preserved within its walls.
Tales from the Magic Attic is a poignant and uplifting documentary that uncovers the cultural heartbeat of Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, through its unique community archive, affectionately known as ‘The Magic Attic.’ The film delves into the attic's role as a repository of local history through its artifacts, much of it salvaged from a skip, including 8 tons of local newspapers, miners' lamps, pottery, home movies and over 35,000 photographs. More than a physical archive, The Magic Attic represents the collective memory of a town shaped by its industrial roots and resilient spirit.
The film captures the attic's transformation from a salvaged newspaper collection to a cultural hub sustained entirely by volunteers. Through intimate interviews, these individuals share heartfelt stories of discovery: family secrets revealed through genealogical research, forgotten community moments brought to light, unsolved murders, and objects like a chandelier from Westminster Abbey finding a second life. These stories underscore the attic's role as a space for connection, memory, and identity.
What makes Tales from the Magic Attic culturally significant is its celebration of grassroots preservation and community heritage. The documentary delves into Swadlincote’s history, from its coal mining and pottery heyday to its industrial decline and eventual regeneration. It showcases how ordinary people safeguard the stories of their town—stories that might otherwise be lost. By doing so, it sheds light on the value of preserving local histories, not only for posterity, but as a way to understand and honour the fabric of everyday life.
With its evocative visuals, from drone shots of regenerated areas to the quiet intimacy of tea time at the attic, the film illustrates how a seemingly modest archive serves as a vital cultural touchstone. In a world increasingly digitised, Tales from the Magic Attic is a compelling reminder of the power of tangible history and the magic that comes from preserving shared human stories.
Image credit: Jack Carter
Notes on production:
The film was shot over a period of three years from June 2022 until June 2025 by a team of creatives and researchers funded by Liverpool John Moores University. The filmmaking team worked differently to a conventional documentary film crew, dispensing with hierarchies, and functioning as a creative collective, mirroring the collaborative model of The Magic Attic’s community of volunteers.
Dr Eleanor Yule, who pulled the team together, is a lecturer in Film Studies at LJMU. Her background as a filmmaker saw her working across BBC Arts on network strands such as Bookmark, Omnibus and The Late Show as well as collaborating with Sir Michael Palin on a series about forgotten painters.
“This was a unique opportunity to work with a group of dedicated volunteers who had saved the history of the town from a skip and managed to preserve it and share it with their local community. They have helped many to reclaim and recover stories which would have otherwise have been lost, as well as supporting them emotionally through times of adversity. The film is a love letter to the Attic but also to all of England’s rich and diverse local communities.”
More than just an archive
Tales from the Magic Attic is a poignant and uplifting portrait of a community determined not to let its stories disappear. In Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, a remarkable volunteer-run archive—built from treasures rescued from a skip, including eight tons of local newspapers, 35,000 photographs, home movies, pottery and miners’ lamps—has become the living memory of a town. In an age of digital memories and disposable information, Tales from the Magic Attic asks what happens if we lose the physical traces of where we came from—and celebrates the ordinary people who preserve them. Rich with humour, mystery, tenderness and unexpected discoveries, the film is both a cultural record of a town transformed by industrial decline and regeneration, and a love letter to the vital, often overlooked heritage of local communities everywhere.
If you would like to attend, please contact our Visitor Information Centre: info@visitsouthderbyshire.co.uk.
13 October 2026