The Malthouse Theatre hosted an inspiring evening on Saturday 10 May 2025 for the premiere of the Filmhouse Project, a collaborative student film combining original music, live performance and filmmaking. This student-led initiative brought together five schools in a unique educational partnership, culminating in the live screening of a short feature film scored and performed by students from The King’s School Canterbury.
The Filmhouse Project began in October 2024 as a creative partnership involving The King’s School Canterbury International College, Simon Langton Boys’ Grammar School, Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School and Canterbury Academy. Student composers worked in pairs to develop musical themes based on a shared creative brief. These compositions were brought to life by professional musicians on the Malthouse Theatre stage and recorded for use in the developing film.
The recorded music was handed to student actors and scriptwriters from The King’s School Canterbury Drama Department. From there, the collaboration deepened, with scripts, film clips and musical ideas shared between schools. Students worked under the guidance of experienced professionals including director Katerina Curtis, who joined the project in January 2025.
Throughout March, students took part in composing workshops using fresh film footage to craft a score tailored to specific cinematic scenes. Final filming took place in late March, followed by rehearsals with a 25-piece student orchestra in the week leading up to the premiere.
At the red-carpet premiere on 10 May, the finished short film was shown alongside a live performance of its original score by the student orchestra from The King’s School Canterbury. For many of the musicians, this was their first experience performing to film, and they delivered a confident and moving performance.
The audience responded warmly, with enthusiastic applause recognising the hard work and creative achievement of all involved. The event marked a significant moment in the academic and artistic life of the school, demonstrating the value of arts education and cross-school collaboration.
The Filmhouse Project stands as a clear example of how schools can work together to deliver ambitious, real-world creative experiences for students. By combining film, music and drama, and by fostering links between institutions, the project has given students the chance to develop original work, gain hands-on experience and share their achievements with a wider audience.