A film season explores the relevance of craftsmanship with documentaries and short films on traditional and contemporary trades, from Sami textiles to Japanese listening cafés. This will happen in “The old ways”, which will take place from 22 March to 16 May 2026 at the Barbican Cinema.
Sara Harvey
The Old Ways is a three-month season of films celebrating artisans and artists, worldwide craftsmanship and all things handmade, plus opportunities to make and repair, stitch and knit.
Opening in March with the London premiere of “A century of sound”, which reveals the interiors of Tokyo’s legendary “listening cafés”, the season continues through to May with a range of rarely seen documentaries and shorts, including programmes for Families and Seniors.
Highlights include a celebration of renowned Sami textile artist and activist Britta Marakatt- Labba, who will attend the UK premiere of the award-winning documentary film “Historjá – Stitches for Sapmí”, narrated by the artist, and directed by Thomas Jackson.
In the London premiere of “Shades of Indigo”, introduced by Linda Brassington, chair of the Textile Society, farmers, artisans and scientists tell of keeping the craft of indigo dyeing alive in contemporary Japan. Audiences are invited to bring along their yarn and needles to the shorts programme Pattern testing, featuring textile-based animated films (this programme is repeated at a special edition of the weekly Senior Community Screenings which take place every Monday morning). And finally, the screening of “The colour of ink”, a portrait of artisanal ink-maker Jason Logan, will be introduced by Soraya Syed, British Islamic calligrapher who also appears in the film.
The season includes two programmes of documentary shorts: “In the making” invites audiences to look at the importance of craft to the lives of artisans from around the world, while “Yarn stories” explores the many crafts connected to yarn. Ahead of Yarn Stories audiences can also learn the art of how to repair damaged but much-loved textiles in a special Textile Repair Café run by Islington Fixers and TRAID.
Families can busy their fingers at two Family Film Club screenings celebrating hand-made animation: Woolly animations, a programme of short animations for fledgling cinemagoers and crafters, and “The songbird’s secret” a feature-length animation made entirely from cut paper. Both these FFC screenings will be preceded by crafty workshops and followed by the Barbican Library’s Saturday afternoon Monster Art Club.
Barbican Library also hosts a regular Craft and conversation group on Monday mornings, welcoming knitters to learn and share tips. The Library holds an extensive collection of art catalogues and resources on all kinds of crafts.
Tamara Anderson, Barbican Cinema Curator, says that “this season which takes us to meet the people worldwide upholding cultural legacies, and inside their practice. In this era of disconnect – of digital experiences and mass production – many of us are thinking again about what we value. This might mean a renewed appreciation of craftsmanship, of things with a tangible connection to a person and place, embodying skill, dedication and deep understanding. I hope The Old Ways will create a space for audiences to find renewed appreciation of the practises and the people”.
The old ways is part of London Craft Week (11-17 May 2026), a city-wide festival celebrating exceptional craftsmanship, across multiple sectors and disciplines worldwide.
For more information and to know the full film programme, click here: Barbican Cinema.
(Photos supplied by Sarah Harvey, Barbican Cinema press consultant)
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