Video production company The Eastern Blok is working with the University of Manchester on a brand new short film project, featuring an inspiring new poem penned by Northern poet and writer Tony Walsh.
The project, filmed at the University of Manchester’s new £400m Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD), is designed to “raise awareness of the engineering community at Manchester” and to put the city “on the map for engineering”.
“Manchester is such a pioneering city and hotbed of innovation and has been since the industrial revolution. The film is to continue on that message but also to bring to light all of the stories emerging here. Just from talking to some of the students here today, the stuff that they’re working on is incredible,” Emma Sutton, digital manager at the University of Manchester’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, told Prolific North.
We had the opportunity to hear Tony Walsh recite his new poem, which shines a spotlight on Manchester’s rich engineering heritage and talented students, four of which are also taking part in the project.
“I knew that we needed to create a piece of really inspiring and moving writing by somebody who is incredibly creative but also really synonymous with Manchester. Tony is a huge part of Manchester’s heritage. His work across so many different projects talks about pioneering, the spirit of Manchester and the growth and boldness of the city. It just fitted with a message we really wanted to kind of communicate,” added Sutton.
Keen to be involved in the project, to find inspiration for the new poem Tony Walsh was given a tour of the building and spent time with the robotic society, the UAV lab where you’ll find drones being tested, and the 3D printing lab.