Festival of Making

In residence with Lancashire Saw Company, Jacqueline Donachie presented IMPERIAL, a film inspired by a combination of fast beats, slow canals and the repetition of industry.

The manufacturer is housed in Imperial Mill, the imposing former textile mill built in 1901 on Blackburn’s stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Jacqueline created work that could be presented in-situ, inviting an audience to experience the canal and rediscover it as a place for cultural activity.

The original soundtrack makes a connection to the underground dance scene of the late 1980’s that was particularly prevalent and influential in Blackburn and East Lancashire.

On Friday, 10th June 2022, an audience experienced the fast and slow of the project with a music barge procession along the towpath and a film screening at Imperial Mill.

House music DJ Bobby Singh played from the rear of the moving boat, guiding audiences along the waterways to the screening of IMPERIAL, housed in the iconic mill where it was filmed.

IMPERIAL is featured in Radical Pairings, an Art in Manufacturing publication and accompanying retrospective exhibition that took place during the National Festival of Making, 2025.

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The Artist

Jacqueline Donachie is an award-winning Scottish artist. Based in Glasgow, she has forged an international reputation for a socially-engaged art practice that is rooted in an exploration of individual, family and collective identity and the structures, platforms and spaces (both actual and conceptual) through which it is constructed and supported.

Her work encompasses sculpture, installations, photographs, films, drawings and performance and is research-based, collaborative and participatory. Donachie was the recipient of the inaugural Freelands Award.

Website

The Manufacturer

Lancashire Saw Company is housed in Imperial Mill, the imposing former textile mill built in 1901 located on Blackburn’s stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

It is one of the oldest-established and largest bandsaw makers in Europe, servicing over 2000 each week for sawmills, timber importers and the joinery trade.

Established in 1943, the company is made up of a team of experts in the art of saw manufacturing and servicing.

Website

Overhead view of two people on a small boat. One operates sound equipment, the other steers.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Stuart Quinn.

A woman with children selects food at an outdoor stall with covered trays.

Man wearing a red cap and purple jacket with headphones, standing against a red brick wall, DJing on a laptop.

Red canal boat moves along a waterway beside a brick wall and lush greenery, with two people on deck, one DJing.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Stuart Quinn.

A lively canal scene with people walking along a path, some waving. A red narrowboat passes under a bridge, surrounded by greenery and a sunny sky.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Bea Davidson.

A red narrowboat floats on a serene canal beside a historic brick building. People walk along the towpath, surrounded by lush greenery in sunlight.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Bea Davidson.

A group of people excitedly wave at a passing canal boat on a sunny day. The crowd stands on the canal bank, exuding a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Bea Davidson.

Woman with curly hair holding a paper cup and a bread roll outdoors.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Bea Davidson.

Jacqueline Donachie stands on a pedestal, gesturing enthusiastically. A film crew is nearby, and there are spectators and trees in the background.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Bea Davidson.

A group of people stand near a red canal boat on a sunny day. The boat is moored alongside a green, wooded bank. One person sits on the boat playing music.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Three people stand indoors in casual clothing. They appear relaxed, with two smiling at each other.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A man stands indoors beside a professional video camera with a microphone. He wears a patterned sweater, looking focused. The background is softly blurred.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A person stands in a dimly lit space holding audio recording equipment, wearing headphones and a microphone.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Canal path with grassy verge leading to a distant bridge, flanked by red brick buildings. The sky is blue with scattered clouds.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A man wearing headphones stands near a canal, holding audio equipment. Another person in the background operates a camera.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A person walks away on a sunny path by a canal, carrying a red jacket and bag.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Brick building with a tall green-domed tower under a clear blue sky. The facade is adorned with large windows.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Elderly man in a blue work uniform stands in a cluttered workshop, surrounded by machinery and tools.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A man in a blue coat works in an industrial workshop, bending metal strips using machinery.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A worker in blue gloves uses an angle grinder on metal, creating bright sparks in a workshop.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

Close-up of a circular saw's serrated metal teeth, arranged in layered rows, creating a repeating pattern

Large screen projects a vivid abstract image with a bright yellow circle surrounded by red and black hues in a dimly lit gallery.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

Large screen displays a crowd with raised hands in a dimly lit industrial space, with metal coils and a speaker visible.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

Large projection of a close-up saw blade displayed in an industrial space with wooden floors and metal pillars.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

Audience members stand in a dimly lit room, watching a vibrant blue and purple screen projection.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

A group of people stand in a dimly lit room, watching a large screen.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

Red canal boat moored on a calm river under blue skies with fluffy clouds, as a group of people stand on a grassy path by brick buildings enjoying the scene.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Emma Colbert-Mooring.

Four children sit on the floor in a dimly lit room, watching a large screen displaying a close-up image with metal bars and a circular object with orange and green tones.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

A group of people sit on the floor in a dark room, watching a large screen that shows a video of a man working with a large tool or machine in a workshop.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Jules Lister.

Jacqueline Donachie speaks passionately while gesturing with open hands. A large pink abstract painting hangs behind them.

Three people in a workshop examine a large industrial machine. One person wears blue overalls and safety goggles, another leans in holding a notepad, and the third, wearing headphones, operates the machine.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Danny Allison.

A narrowboat travels along a tree-lined canal at sunset, with a large group of people walking on the towpath beside it. The sky is clear with the sun low on the horizon.

Jacqueline Donachie + Lancashire Saw Company, 2022. Photo by Stuart Quinn.

Funders, partners and collaborators

Film production and post-production: Andy McGregor

Original soundtrack: Hamish Brown

This project is part of the Pennine Lancashire Linear Park pilot project delivered by The Super Slow Way. The Pennine Lancashire Linear Park pilot project is funded by the UK Government via the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Website

Being in the same job for close to 30 years, I guess I became unaware and ignorant of how unique our work is. Having Jackie come along and spend time in and around the factory with her enthusiasm and creativity has given me a chance to look at it with new eyes.

Stephen Quinn, Saw Doctor, Lancashire Saw Company

One of the machines that presses out bits of metal makes this incredible noise. It’s got a really strong beat that’s quite musical. We were always dancing when we were walking round the factory.

Jacqueline Donachie, Artist