Blast from the Past: a local history event for KS2

Travel back in time through the power of film to discover how your local area has changed over time and compare it to other locations from the BFI’s Britain on Film archive.

Tower Bridge and ships on the River Thames, London.

Date: 29 April 2025
Time: 10:30 to 12:30pm
Location: BFI Southbank

Event details

Take you pupils back in time through the history of your local area with the magic of archive film clips. This interactive, bespoke event for KS2 pupils is designed to explore a snapshot in time of the area around your school (or another area that you are studying).

Using your school’s address, we will tailor this event to include footage from the BFI National Archive, BFI Replay and our Britain on Film collection to show your pupils areas around them. Pupils will have an opportunity to discuss the changes that they spot over time and to compare and contrast a variety of locations in the UK with their own locality. This is an ideal way to help pupils to improve their awareness of timelines, chronology and position themselves both geographaphically and historically.

How does it work?

When you make your payment and book your spaces on this event, please let our team know your school’s address. The event presenter will then use your address to research film from your local area from the BFI Archive and will include this in the event. If you are studying a specific location, other than the local area around your school, or would like two areas to be included, please let our team know this at the time of booking.

Booking information

You can book this study day from 2 September 2024.

To book this study day, you can call 0207 849 4451 and pay by credit or debit card. You can also download, print and return the form below with cheque or card details.

You should book by 4pm at least two working days before the event. However, we recommend booking earlier to avoid disappointment.

Prices

The study day costs £6.00 per student.

Accompanying teachers and adults cost £6.00 each, unless there are five students (or over), then it costs £1 per five students.

Teachers attending without students cost £40.

If your school has over 20% of students getting free school meals, you should ask about a discount when you book.

We cannot send invoices or accept BACS payments for these courses.

For any queries, please email schools@bfi.org.uk.