A Touch of Glass
Our short documentary is about stained glass and the process of making it. We focus on a stained glass maker by the name of Tejal Kachalia and what inspired her to eventually become a teacher of the subject and have her own facility.
Raising awareness of this art form
We wanted to raise awareness of stained glass as an art form, the people behind it, and the process of making it.
Nowadays, there is a huge focus on technology and old creative crafts like stained glass making don’t get much attention. We want to ensure people don’t lose sight of these intricate handicrafts.
By shining a light on the process of making stained glass and the creatives making it, we hope to inspire a wider group of people to find out more about stained glass making and perhaps even give it a go themselves – particularly the young.
It is important to keep these handicrafts alive and for some that struggle in academic areas, taking up a craft that involves utilising their hands and puts them in touch with their creative side could put them on a career path that they might find far more fulfilling.
By making this documentary, we hope that makers of stained glass also get the recognition they deserve for their skill. The making of stained glass isn’t something people normally shine a spotlight on, so we believe our documentary will be fairly unique!
Inspiration for making it
Our Director has become a maker of stained glass himself. In his youth he was a good artist but as he got older this deteriorated and he was keen to look for a hobby which allowed him to retain his creativity, while doing something physical with his hands.
He was inspired to investigate the process of making stained glass having initially developed a fascination with it that stems back to his youth when he visited both cathedrals and churches. His aunt’s home also has a beautiful stained glass window, as does his current home. He is always in awe of how stunning it looks when the light shines through it.
His desire to be creative, hands on, and to learn how people can create such beauty from stained glass (windows, lampshades and other works of art) motivated him to seek out a stained glass art class in Harrow. The rest is history!
We hope people will want to donate to our crowdfunding campaign so that we can pay for archive footage to bring it to life and show how this art form has been around for thousands of years. We'll be researching how this art form was created many years ago so that we can produce the best documentary that we can.
Our team
Aaron Stevens - Director, Interviewer
"I am deeply passionate about this project as I have a deep interest in stained glass and how it can be used to create masterpieces. When I first learnt about the craft, the tutor who taught me showed me how much joy it can bring whilst complementing your creativity. After creating my first piece, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
"This is why I would love to give back to the person who taught me a beautiful craft, by creating a beautiful short documentary. The craft can bring such beauty and breathe life into someone's soul."
Carina Escorcio - Producer, Sound
"This documentary is very inspiring for me because it has motivated me to move forward and pursue my career. Hopefully it will also inspire others to pursue their dreams too. This is a subject that has rarely been talked about so it is an interesting topic to know more about."
Elize Knowles - Camera, Production Manager
"I am very pleased to be working on this documentary because I feel it will help the stained glass world get more recognition, especially among young people. Hopefully we can help this art form become more trendy for years to come. You can be so creative with stained glass and by making this documentary, more people will become knowledgeable about it. They might even try stained glass making and learn they have a talent they never knew existed."
Sayanth Anpalagan - Researcher/ Lighting specialist
"I feel that this documentary on stained glass is very interesting as it is something I have always wanted to know more about. I look forward to working with the team on its production. As it is something very dear to Aaron (our director) it has made me love it even more and I am very dedicated to undertaking my assigned roles and helping produce the best documentary possible."
Charlotte Santer - Editing
"I am interested in this project as I want to know more about stained glass and how it is made. I don't know much about stained glass so it will be fascinating to learn more. I am really looking forward to being involved in this project and to coming away with more knowledge of this art form."
Maruf Ali - Assistant Researcher/ Runner
"The reason I am interested in the documentary is because I would like to know more about stained glass and how it is developed. I also feel confident we will produce a great documentary because of the determination from the group."
why we need your help! - our plan of action
To make our documentary, we need to raise £250. Here is a breakdown of where your money will go:
Archive Footage - £165: We will use most of the funding for archive footage so that we can show how the art has been around for thousands of years. We will be researching how the art form originated and use this footage to illustrate this.
Travel (South/ North London to Harrow) - £50: If the pandemic allows, we would like to interview Tejal Kachalia in person
Covid-19 equipment - £35: In the event we are able to film in person,. we will need funds for masks, gloves, etc so that we can ensure the safety of interviewees an d crew while filming.
If we raise more money than we actually need, we will donate to a charity that inspires us.
some of Tejal Kachalia's work
Students from Tejals class
Ensuring health and safety while filming during covid-19
It has been quite a challenge working during the pandemic. However, our production team are doing their best to ensure nobody is at risk during the filming process. All crew members have successfully completed the Screen Skills COVID-19 training and will be following government health and safety guidelines. This will include crew members wearing a face covering at all times, constantly sanitising equipment as well as their hands, making certain that there is plenty of ventilation (i.e. windows and doors kept open), and maintaining social distancing.
refunds
If for any reason we have to cancel our project, donors will be refunded minus any costs incurred during pre-production. You will be able to request to see receipts verifying any expenditure. If you have any questions relating to our refund policy, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
For any refunds that are unclaimed by donors, we will donate to 'shout', a charity that offers a free and confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone struggling to deal with stress, depression, or who feels suicidal or overwhelmed and is in need immediate support.
Find out more:
Follow our process
We will give updates on our progress at least once a week here on our campaign page so please make sure you check our page from time to time!
You can also email the head of departments for updates or if you have any questions at:
stainedglassdoc@outlook.com
- Elize Knowles (Production Manager, Camera)
- Carina Escorcio (Producer, Sound)
- Aaron Stevens (Director)
please spread the word!
If you can’t donate personally, you can still help us by spreading the word about our project to your own network of contacts.
Please share this project with anyone you think would support us – on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, telephone, in person or on your blog. By helping us promote the project, the greater chance we have of turning our bright idea into reality. Your support really matters.
Of course if you are also able to make a small personal donation and sponsor our project, we would be very grateful.
Thank you so much for your time, have an amazing day!
