Round our Way

Sam Hanna (born in Burnley, East Lancashire in 1903) was an inventor, filmmaker and educator who pioneered the use of film in the classroom. Across six decades, he produced hundreds of films documenting everyday life and culture in East Lancashire. In 2023 -120 years after his birth - Blaze marked the occasion with a new youth‑led project inspired by Sam Hanna’s remarkable legacy.

Young people from three Burnley high schools worked with Fully Formed Films to document and celebrate East Lancashire’s diverse contemporary culture. Together, they created a new digital collection of films and photographs, which was exhibited in Burnley Town Centre in 2024. Their work echoed Sam’s commitment to capturing local stories, while bringing a fresh, modern perspective to the region’s heritage.

Blaze also commissioned Pendle Press to publish a new book about Sam Hanna and the Round Our Way project, expanding access to his history and the young people’s creative responses.

Learning from the project was shared with Burnley’s Local Cultural Education Partnership, strengthening local cultural education and ensuring Sam’s legacy continued to inspire future generations.

The project began with a visit to Towneley Hall in Burnley, where the group explored Sam’s original filmmaking equipment. A further trip to the North West Film Archive in Manchester was planned for early 2024, giving young people the chance to see how regional film heritage is preserved today.

Blaze extended thanks to teachers at Sir John Thursby High School, Marsden Heights Community College and Blessed Trinity College for collaborating so generously throughout the project.

This project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.