River City Detectives


Can you help solve the mysterious crimes on Coventry's waterways?

From September 2021 – March 2022, Open Theatre worked with a group of young people from Coventry’s special schools to explore Coventry’s rivers, canals and waterways as part of the River City Detectives project. 

Working with local heritage partners – Historic Coventry Trust, Canal & River Trust, Coventry Canal Basin and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust – young people across Coventry learned about the local heritage, wildlife and conservation of these important Coventry spaces, and used them as inspiration for their own detective films!  These were made into 3 professionally shot short films, that make up our River City Detectives Trilogy.

Visits and filming took place at Charterhouse and the River Sherbourne, Coventry Canal Basin and Daimler Powerhouse

The Blob: A River City Mystery

Created by Castle Wood School, working with Marlien and Tom from Open Theatre.  A Mysterious blob has been created in the City and it’s searching for something….but what is it?  Can our Detectives solve the Mystery?

This film also won the 2nd place prize in the Coventry Candid Film Festival and was voted as the top filmmakers the audience would most like to see more from!

Lights, Camera, Action!

A photo of a camera set up to take photo's across a lake
RCD, Charterhouse Filming – by Visually Rich 06115
Two young people wearing lab coats. One is facing just off-camera, wearing a grey shirt and clenching his fist. Behind him, the second young person is wearing safety glasses and staring at something off-frame
RCD, Charterhouse Filming – by Visually Rich 06137
Three young people sit on a bench. Two are looking off into the distance, one - who is closest to us, looks to camera
RCD, Charterhouse Filming – by Visually Rich 06112
A young boy looks to camera. He is wearing dark dunglasses, a blue fleece and has a steely expression.
RCD, Charterhouse Filming – by Visually Rich 06142
A close up of a camera filming a scene - you can see three young people acting as scientists in the camera viewfinder
RCD, IKEA Filming – by Visually Rich 05499
Three young people are dressed as scientists, and are gathered around a table. There are bottles of brightly coloured liquid on the table. To the right, a cameraman is crouching and taking a photo
RCD, IKEA Filming – by Visually Rich 05504
A young person holds a closed film slate. He is standing in front of a window, with light falling strongly on the left side of his face
RCD, IKEA Filming – by Visually Rich 05525
A scene is about to start - three young people are gathered around a table, one - a young girl, holds a syringe over a beaker. On the right are thee film crew - one is giving two thumbs up
RCD, IKEA Filming – by Visually Rich 05534

All photography by Visually Rich

River City Thieves

Created by Woodfield Secondary School Students, working with Hannah and Mike from Open Theatre.  There’s been a robbery at a local jewellery store but the thief might not be who you’d expect.  Can our Detectives find out the truth?

Our Fab Cast

In the foreground, someone is holding a closed film-slate. Behind them, a young person wearing a grey and white tracksuit is slumped in a large black sofa
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05900
A young actor, dressed in costume as an elderly woman with a grey wig. long skirt and walking frame, smiles to camera. Behind them, a second young person in a black coat is grinning to someone off-camera
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05957
A young actor is slowly opening a black sports bag - a film-maker is learning over his shoulder to film what's inside
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05933
A group of young actors & film crew discuss what's about to happen in a scene. They are gathered around a table - some are standing, some are sitting. The film director is sat on the back of a large black sofa, holding a camera in one hand and gesturing with the other.
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05929
A young actor makes an uncomfortable face as someone helps him put on a grey wig.
RCD, Woodlands Session – by Visually Rich 05870
A scene is about to start - a young actor in costume as an elderly woman sits on a bench. Behind her is another actor, wearing a black coat, and to their right is a third actor in a grey and white tracksuit and carrying a black sports bag, looking over his shoulder
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05959
A young actor peers inside a black sports bag
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05921
A close up of a camera's viewfinder - clearly visible are dozens of diamonds inside a black bag, coloured orange by the film-lamps
RCD, Daimler Building Filming – by Visually Rich 05937

All photography by Visually Rich

River City Detectives

Created by students from Baginton Fields School, Sherbourne Fields School, Riverbank Academy and Hereward College, working with Mel and Marlien from Open Theatre.  There have been several strange crimes taking place in Coventry and the River City Detectives are investigating.  Are they somehow connected and can they catch who is really behind it all?

Behind the Scenes

Before a scene - actors are in start positions, gathered around a table with a laptop, a McDonald's drink and open burger wrappers. One actor, wearing a black suit, sits on a large black sofa, looking stuffed - while two other actors stand to the side looking irritated
Open Theatre, RCD, Daimler Building – by Rich Phillips Photography 00416
A suspicious find - an actor dressed as an old-timey detective, with a long trench coat & hat, holds a bottle of bright green chemicals
Open Theatre, RCD, Daimler Building – by Rich Phillips Photography 00475
An artistic shot - in the foreground is a camera, in the background is a blurred group of actors arranged in a circle holding scripts
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00510
An actor sits poised to start a scene - he is sitting at a desk with a pen pressed to a notepad. The desk is cluttered with landline telephones, a walkie-talkie, a mug and scraps of paper. Next to the actor is the director - wearing a bright green coat and holding an open film slate
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00623
Hearing Feedback - a group of actors, mostly in start positions, are listening to the director give feedback on a scene.
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00531
A long-shot of a film shoot. There are a dozen people - mostly against the far wall, while three actors are slightly closer, about to start performing. Two are sat at desks, a third is walking in while holding a cat and hat. To the right of the photo are large windows - the bulk of the foreground of the image is of long shadows cast by the actors.
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00565
A close-up of a desk with three different landline phones, an unfinished crossword puzzle in a paper, a mug and hole-punch
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00578
A close-up of film-crew at work - a boom mic operator holds the long handle of their boom microphone, he is wearing headphones. Behind him someone is adjusting a camera lens. Above them both is an emergency exit sign, to their left are three large studio lamps
Open Theatre, RCD, IKEA Session 2 – by Rich Phillips Photography 00554

All photography by Visually Rich

To find out a bit more about the process, take a look at our behind-the-scenes film!

 

What did people think?

“The students gained so much from this process, and some have gone on to create podcasts and do more filming in school which is great to see.  One student is now taking part in a regional Commonwealth Games programme”  Headteacher

“River City Detectives gave the opportunity for real life work-based scenarios and gave real scope for some students to achieve.  They also collaborated with others in a professional setting which is so important”

Thanks to our Funders

Heritage Fund logo with a white cartoon of a hand with fingers crossed, with eyes and a smiley face on the palm.

If you would like to find out more about us or the programmes we run, get in touch, or better still…

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