Gatherings Northumberland

Aim

Help us get Gatherings Northumberland on the big screen, shine a warm light on the region and document our extraordinary living heritage.

Introduction >

Hello, I'm Dave Brewis a filmmaker specialising in customs, folklore and seasonal events. In 2025 I made Gatherings a six-part TV documentary series (Amazon Prime, Apple TV) which explores Britain’s most enduring folk traditions. In 2026 my lense is focussed on Northumberland, which is where I’m from and where I’m currently based.

Gatherings Northumberland will be a feature length documentary film exploring the region via its living heritage – those annual customs, seasonal rituals and ancient games which continue to bring communities together in all sorts of extraordinary ways. 

The documentary will be entertaining and observational in style, with the stories told only by the communities themselves. Shot across the entire calendar year, the film will be a journey ‘once around the sun via the north of England’. Northumberland's stunning landscape provides the backdrop as the events reveal themselves in line with the ever-changing seasons.

Living Heritage >

We are in the process of identifying and securing archives, enabling us to tell the story of how these customs are handed down through time. The film will also uncover what these practices represent today – within the context of history, place and belonging. Typically Northumberland is under-represented on screen, however Gatherings Northumberland will become an authentic record of the region's living heritage, and provide a documentary reference for the future.  

The Ask! >

The finished documentary is set for release in cinemas in Spring 2027 and I'm looking for your help in completing the project, so we can get it to audiences everywhere. The film will tour the North East first with event screenings from March onwards and I'm inviting you on this celebratory journey. For those willing to donate, we've made exclusive REWARDS available so please take a look at those below.  

The full costs of filming and production are covered by TEN80 Productions & partners. In this Crowdfunder we are trying to raise the £25k necessary for Post Production (editing, grading, archive work). Any sum we receive above this target will go towards distribution, with planned screenings happening across the North East first, before national and international distribution.

Watch the sizzle reel below and please consider becoming a SUPPORTER or CUSTODIAN for the project...!

What's included? >

The documentary begins on New Year's Eve at The Tar-Bar’l in Allendale, where we meet some very Northumbrian characters (and one or two vikings) within the context of fire, renewal and community spirit. 

We travel north in February to the River Tweed for Blessing the Salmon Fishing at Norham. The village, on the border with Scotland, was once the resting place for the sacred remains of Cuthbert – Northumberland’s Patron Saint. This introduce notions of Northumbria’s Golden Age, which remains a thread within the film.

Northumberland is the only county in England with its own musical instrument to boast an unbroken playing tradition. The Northumbrian Pipes provides a score for landscape and belonging, and a returning motif for the film. Naturally we shift to the town of Alnwick for Shrovetide Football, a ritualised, communal conflict contained by custom. We bring you the action :)

As Spring arrives we follow Northern Cross on their annual pilgrimage to Holy Island, crossing Northumberland’s national park via Hadrian’s wall. The film traces the group’s epic journey, which ends as they cross barefoot at low tide to the island of Lindisfarne on Good Friday in time for Easter Celebrations. 

Early summer brings Ovingham Goose Fair - an important feature of the national folklore calendar as unusually it has roots in commerce. At one time this custom died out but was revived by locals in the 1970s. With the use of unseen archives we tell the story, while soaking up the beery atmosphere of this year’s fair in this historic Northumbrian village on the banks of the River Tyne.

In Britain, it was fairly common to dance around a communal fire on Old Midsummer Eve, which – since the calendar change in 1752 – has occurred on 4th July. By the end of the 19th century, most of these events had died out across the country and today only one remains - at Whalton village in Northumberland. We follow the custodians and villagers as they celebrate around their annual Baal fire.

Agriculture is synonymous with Northumberland life, and the film follows Glendale Show, a much loved celebration of rural life, farming and community in the heart of the Cheviots. The film then follows North East Folklore Society as they master the craft of corn dolly making before mounting their inaugural ‘Harvest Gathering’, a new seasonal event that honours folk rituals of the past and brings contemporary themes to bear.

Filmmaker's motivations >

Gatherings Northumberland will not only serve as an authentic record of Northumberland’s customs and traditions, but will also provide a window into contemporary practices, exploring themes such as community, place and belonging.

Northumberland is under-represented. It rarely receives any focus nationally or internationally, however we know this to be an extraordinary part of the world with unparalleled history. Given the sheer depth of customs and communal activity, I felt it was time to try make a film which accurately represents what goes on, and get that on the big screen for audiences to enjoy. Crowdfunding will allow me to obtain wider distribution, and so that the film can shine a warm light on the region. 

Gatherings Northumberland is ultimately a film about people and place. It goes beyond a representation of a county with historic relics strewn across landscape, and into one more defined by the region’s living heritage – those customs, rituals and games that bring today’s communities together in remarkable ways.

Making Independent Documentaries work >

Making independent documentary is never easy. Today's 'attention economy' is built around short-form, influencer-based content and going forward AI generated content is set to undermine authentic works. 

I'm dedicated to the art of observational documentaries. They invite audiences into a deeper and more thoughtful relationship with the subject matter. Observational documentaries allow audiences to breathe and stop short of telling them what to think, but instead provide a window into aspects of life which would otherwise remain unseen. By supporting this project you are also supporting this approach to filmmaking. Kindly donate if you can afford!

For more on the work of the filmmaker please see Dave Brewis Filmmaker

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Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st May 2027 at 5:00pm