About

Sean Burns 'Dorothy Towers'

+ live score composed and performed by Sean Burns and Lai Power

+ Q&A

Part of CINECITY film festival

Dorothy Towers is the story of the legendary Clydesdale and Cleveland Towers, two residential blocks in the centre of Birmingham. Completed in 1971 as a social housing development, and located adjacent to Birmingham’s Gay Village, the towers’ proximity to the community means they have long been a haven for LGBTQ+ people.

The film opens a space to reflect on the complex relationship between architecture, community and memory. It features testimonials from residents and explores ideas of queer kinship and inheritance alongside experiences of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and ’90s.

The 16mm film includes footage of interior architecture; archival materials, including newsprint and photographs; community members in celebratory mood; and sweeping shots of architectural reliefs and designs surrounding the towers.

This screening will be accompanied by a live score, composed and performed by Sean Burns and Lai Power, and followed by an in-conversation with filmmaker Sean Burns

Supported by Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Image Caption: Sean Burns Dorothy Towers, 2022, 16mm film still. Courtesy: © the artist