Academic featured in major UK cinema release – screening across the Midlands

A University academic has contributed to a major new documentary charting the enduring legacy of Northern Soul, now showing in cinemas across the UK – including venues throughout the Midlands.

Northern Soul: Still Burning, released nationwide on Friday 15 May, is screening in more than 150 cinemas, with audiences able to watch the film in locations including Birmingham, Dudley, Coventry, Telford, West Bromwich and Worcester.

The documentary explores the rise of the Northern Soul movement from working-class communities in the North and Midlands in the late 1960s and 1970s and examines how the scene continues to thrive with new generations today.

Professor Keith Gildart, Professor of Labour and Social History at the University of Wolverhampton, contributed his research to the film and also appears on screen, helping to bring the story of one of Britain’s most distinctive cultural movements to a wider audience.

Keith said: ‘Northern Soul was significant music scene in the Midlands and the North in the 1970s. It was the soundtrack for young people living through the closure of factories, coal mines and the fragmentation of working-class communities’

Featuring rare archive footage and interviews with key figures from across the scene, the film captures the music, fashion and community spirit that defined Northern Soul, from legendary all-nighters at venues such as Wigan Casino to its continued influence today.

Critics have praised the documentary as a “thumping celebration of the legendary underground club scene” and a vibrant portrait of a movement that has remained relevant for decades.

A representation from production company Screenbound, said: "We have been so pleased with the reaction to the film's release this past weekend from critics, but more importantly from audiences across the country. Northern Soul holds such a special place in people's hearts and across the generations that we couldn't be happier with the response."

Northern Soul: Still Burning is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Full listings are available via the official film website: northernsoulfilm.com