JANET

A film by Circ Motif

JANET is a collection of photographic and film works created by Hannah Thompson (Circ Motif), in collaboration with Natasha Haws, Ruth Lyon, Kracken Cinematic, and Delphinium Lilac Ross. The project explores the lives of working-class women in rural environments, with a focus on North-East England and County Durham.

Natasha Haws directed one of the short films in the collection, developed from verbatim interviews with women across the region. Her piece blends documentary and abstraction, capturing both the humour and quiet resilience found in the everyday.

Premiered at Brinkburn Street Brewery in July 2022, JANET draws inspiration from the Amber Side Gallery archives and features performances by Emma Crowley-Bennett and Jackie Phillips. The work spans realism and surrealism, inviting audiences to look again at lives too often overlooked.