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    [EFF16P1] Prelude 1: The Song of the Shirt

    Cite as: Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew (2023): [EFF16P1] Prelude 1: The Song of the Shirt. Birkbeck College, University of London. doi: https://doi.org/10.18743/DATA.00000246

    Description

    26 January 2016, 18:00, Birkbeck Cinema

    Film: The Song of the Shirt, Sue Clayton and Jonathan Curling, UK, 1979, digital, 135 minutes, English

    “An investigation into the position of working women in the 1840s, the effects of protectionist ‘philanthropy’ and the resistance to it. Explores the plight of a group of women working in the new ‘sweated’ clothes trade in London. […] Originally intended as a history of the welfare state, as well as a contribution to debates on feminist history, The Song of the Shirt is constructed as a documentary, although the use of multiple-screen effects, monitors displaying text and projected backdrops constantly disrupts the flow of information. Few dates are revealed in the film, forcing us to address the arguments rather than the chronology. […] The Song of the Shirt’s combination of relentless political content and a dislocated and disruptive presentation makes it stand out from its contemporaries in its ambition to present a genuinely feminist independent film.” (source: Screenonline)

    After the screening, Sue Clayton was in conversation with Kodwo Eshun of The Otolith Group.

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    Collection Method

    The Essay Film Festival ran between 2015 and 2023, and presented a global range of contemporary and restored essayistic works. The events are now archived here for research purposes.

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    Metadata

    Dataset Title:

    [EFF16P1] Prelude 1: The Song of the Shirt
    Creators:

    Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew
    Dataset Contributors:

    ContributionNameEmailORCID
    CollaboratorMcCabe, Janetj.mccabe@bbk.ac.ukUNSPECIFIED
    CollaboratorYapp, Emmaeyapp01@student.bbk.ac.ukORCID logohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2646-6066
    Subjects:

    Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
    Data collection method:

    The Essay Film Festival ran between 2015 and 2023, and presented a global range of contemporary and restored essayistic works. The events are now archived here for research purposes.
    Collection period:

    FromTo
    26 January 201626 January 2016
    Statement on legal, ethical, and access issues:

    All film stills were provided by participating artists.
    Depositing User: Emma Yapp
    Date Deposited: 07 Jul 2026 09:48
    Last Modified: 07 Jul 2026 09:48
    Publisher: Birkbeck College, University of London

    Export / Share Citation

    Cite as: Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew (2023): [EFF16P1] Prelude 1: The Song of the Shirt. Birkbeck College, University of London. doi: https://doi.org/10.18743/DATA.00000246

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