Life Beyond the Glassworks: A Documentary of Living and Working In Alloa

Have you ever wondered what life looked and sounded like for local people in Alloa and Clackmannanshire across different decades? Now's your chance to find out more by coming to a documentary screening and panel discussion focusing on everyday, and extraordinary, life experiences of residents in Alloa and Clackmannanshire.

The event looks at cross-generational interactions and is intended to inspire interest in learning about the ways in which life, living and, especially, our working lives have changed over time in the local area.   

The documentary was created using oral history interviews conducted by members of the public who attend ‘The Thursday Club’ at The Hub in Alloa. Their interviews are accompanied by archival images, footage and newly shot photographs and footage.   

This is a unique opportunity for you:

• to learn what working life was like in times when women had specific hours they were not allowed to work,
• to explore the impact of maternity leave, and later paternity leave, on working lives;
• to see the impact on wages when women were allowed to have their own bank accounts;
• to discover what children did after school whilst parents worked;
• to consider how working spaces have changed in Alloa and Clackmannanshire over the decades.

By combining it with photography and interviews into video we can bring the past and the present into a meaningful conversation for and by the town’s inhabitants. 

Event schedule

The event begins with the documentary screening of about 25-30 minutes.

Following the documentary screening there will be a 30-40 minute panel discussion on the topic, why oral histories matter and how to get involved. This panel will include contributions from an archivist, a professional photographer and documentary maker, and a researcher from the Social Science department. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions from the panellists, and possibly some of the contributors to the documentary.

Who’s leading the sessions? 

Dr Francis Stewart, Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Stirling will be leading the event. Also in attendance will be:   

• Susan Yule, an archivist at Spiers Centre; 
• Joshua Johnston, a professional photographer and documentary maker; 
• Vall Whyte, Development Officer at The Hub, Alloa.

Who should attend the event?

Everyone is welcome at this event. It's suitable for all ages. It will be of particular interest to multi-generational families, long-term residents of Alloa and Clackmannashire, and those caring for elderly family or a relative with dementia. 

Do I need to book?

Yes, book your place now. Booking closes on 28 October 2025.

This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025.