The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
The Twelve Days of Christmas
A classic Christmas carol brought joyously to life in this engaging and colourful Sheila Graber animation, with help from her school class.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1976 4 mins
From the collection of:
Overview
In 1975, Sheila Graber made this highly imaginative cut out animation, shown on BBC Look North the same year. Inspired by her own designs for Christmas decorations on the walls of the comprehensive school where she taught for many years, nobody watching it will ever forget the words of the carol ever again.
Sheila Graber started doing animation in 1970, experimenting with anything from cut-outs and pastel to plasticine, with her first full film ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ in 1972. She has had a prolific career as an animator, for television and much else, and has pioneered the teaching of animation for children and adults with special needs. As Head of Creative Studies at King George Comprehensive School, Graber believed in education through art, making films on artists like Turner and Blake, demonstrating how artists worked. The composer, Brenda Orwin, ran the school madrigal choir. In 2004 Graber started teaching on the first animation degree of its type in the UK at the University of Sunderland.
Original title
Twelve Days of Christmas
Director
Sheila Graber
Genres
Animation & Artists Moving Image
Released
1976
Country
United Kingdom
Location
South Shields
Language
English
Related
DIY Animation
Watch for free
Shadowman Shadowman
Amateur film 1994 8 mins Location: Harlesden
A female protagonist falls prey to the ‘Shadowman’, who stalks his victim before attack. Uses stop-motion animation as well as live action.
Watch for free
George on a Cycling Tour through Sussex George on a Cycling Tour through Sussex
Amateur film 1961 14 mins Silent
A surrealistic animation featuring cut-out characters on a beserk bicycle ride through Sussex towards a final destination in the Brighton Dome.
Watch for free
Howway the Lasses Howway the Lasses
Documentary 1977 1 mins Location: Northumberland
This jaunty hand-drawn animation charts the history of womens revolutionary road to freedom in the North East - from Stone Age sister to suffragette of the twentieth century.
Watch for free
Is This Your Life? Is This Your Life?
Amateur film 1957 9 mins Silent
An unusual and visually sophisticated commentary on the routine drabness and drudgery of everyday suburban existence.
Watch for free
Larn Yersel' Geordie Larn Yersel' Geordie
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1980 11 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Learn how to speak Geordie with a riotous animation of Scott Dobsons popular vernacular lessons.
Watch for free
Problems End Problems End
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1964 3 mins
Petty party politics gets animated - literally - in this amateur cartoon with a message.
South Shields
Watch for free
Evolution Evolution
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1980 4 mins Location: South Shields
Staying alive, from a single cell to a big bang. Blink and you’ll miss the end.
Watch for free
South Shields Silver Jubilee Celebrations South Shields Silver Jubilee Celebrations
Amateur film 1977 6 mins Silent Location: South Shields
One big happy family on the streets of South Shields for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee visit.
Watch for free
Tyne and Tide Tyne and Tide
Amateur film 1980 8 mins Silent Location: South Shields
Going with the flow on the River Tyne at South Shields.
Watch for free
How the Camel Got His Hump How the Camel Got His Hump
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1981 10 mins Location: South Shields
An engaging, hand painted animation of Rudyard Kipling’s origin tale about a work shy camel who gets the hump.
Watch for free
Marking Time Marking Time
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1978 3 mins Location: South Shields
An uptempo look at man’s passionate obsession with time from first light to the dawn of the digital age.
Watch for free
I Bird I Bird
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1983 5 mins Location: South Shields
Budgies for beginners: home comforts for birds explained to young pet owners.
New
Watch for free
Fun on the Clothesline Fun on the Clothesline
Comedy 1896 1 mins Silent
A deft music hall act adapted for film, featuring the only known appearance of pioneer filmmaker Robert Paul
Watch for free
Saab: New Delivery Saab: New Delivery
Advert 1985 2 mins
Take a fighter jet, a Top Gun pilot with sunglasses and a brand new SAAB 900 and you have a sure-fire vehicle to launch a Hollywood career.
Watch for free
The Lost Highway The Lost Highway
Promotional 2019 10 mins
A wandering warrior dreams of a new form of expression, in this promo for UNKLE’s album The Road: Part II / Lost Highway Pt. II directed by Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
Watch for free
Colour on the Thames Colour on the Thames
1935 16 mins
A rare glimpse of 1930s London in colour: the Thames has never looked lovelier.
Watch for free
After Eights: Terrace After Eights: Terrace
1965 1 mins Location: York
A world away from zany humour, Richard Lester shows he can also capture the easy opulence of the upper class nibbling After Eight mints.
Watch for free
What's Missing from this Picture? What's Missing from this Picture?
Advert 1946 1 mins Silent
Life is looking up! The war is over and the “Corona” Man can visit his “Corona” families once more, door-to-door.
About the archive
Know this place?
Do you recognise a place, building or location in this film?
Help us populate the Britain on Film map by spotting and plotting the street or location you know. This is a BFI project and anyone can help.
Go to our Britain on Film crowdsourcing site and contribute to our mapping mission – to identify locations within our archive films.
Add a location