The Bath & West Show

Somerset Rural Life Museum | Documentary

Brief

We were commissioned to produce a short documentary about the Bath & West Show for inclusion in a wider exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury. The film was designed to explore what the show means to both long-standing and newer generations of farmers who remain deeply rooted in its culture.

Dating back to 1852, the Bath & West Show has long been a cornerstone of rural life in Somerset. For many of those featured in the film, it’s more than just an annual event — it’s a lifelong tradition that reflects the pride, community, and continuity of farming life across generations.

Approach

The three-day event brought together hundreds of farmers, agriculturalists, and artisan food producers, showcasing and trading thousands of livestock each day across the vast showground at Shepton Mallet. With so much activity happening simultaneously, there was a great deal to cover and an extensive shot list to work through.

Working closely with our client, we identified the key priority areas to capture while allowing flexibility for spontaneous moments. This approach ensured we secured all the essential footage while remaining open to unexpected opportunities that helped bring the event’s energy and authenticity to life.

We also had a schedule of contributors to interview, complete with their availability across the weekend. All were successfully filmed, and we even returned the following year to include an additional contributor the client felt was important to feature. Throughout the show, we also engaged with many farmers directly, leading to several unplanned but valuable interviews. Their genuine passion for the cause we were helping to communicate added depth and emotion to the final film. This also allowed us to capture a balanced mix of voices across different occupations, genders, and age groups.

A key focus of the project was to help educate the public about where their food comes from. Through the interviews, a recurring theme emerged: many farmers felt that the UK’s cultural focus was shifting increasingly toward urban life, leaving rural communities underrepresented. This perspective became a unifying thread throughout the edit, shaping the narrative and giving the film a compelling sense of purpose and authenticity.

Working closely with the museum’s curatorial team, we identified key contributors and themes that reflected both the show’s history and its modern-day relevance. We filmed across the three-day event, combining planned interviews with spontaneous moments to capture the atmosphere authentically. In post-production, we built a narrative around the sense of tradition, community, and pride that came through every conversation.

Result

The finished documentary formed a key part of the museum’s exhibition, helping to engage visitors with the living culture of the Bath & West Show. The film was praised for its authenticity and heartfelt storytelling, and continues to be used as part of the museum’s ongoing interpretation of Somerset’s agricultural heritage.