What we do and how we do it

Northern Silents and the art of live-scored film

At the dawn of the twentieth century, moving images swept across the world and a new art form was born: the cinema. The technology to synchronise recorded sound with film was still decades away, yet screenings were rarely silent. Initially, musical forces ranged from a solo pianist to a trio or small ensemble. Later, as silent cinema reached its height of expressiveness, orchestras became more common. A film could travel the globe unchanged, but its accompanying music was always local, always live, and always different. Each screening was a one‑off encounter between image and sound, shaped by the musicians in the room.

Northern Silents re‑imagines this world for today. We bring silent‑era films back to the screen with brand new music, created by artists across traditions: jazz improvisers, folk players, experimental sound makers, specialist silent film musicians, classical performers, brass bands, ensembles, and sometimes our own orchestra, Northern Silents Sinfonia. Every performance is a meeting of past and present — the vision of filmmakers from a century ago joined with the creativity of musicians here and now. Together they create cinema as a living art form, reborn in performance. 

Working with Northern Silents

Northern Silents creates specially‑curated live cinema programmes for venues of all kinds — from concert halls and theatres to cinemas and festivals. Our seasons typically run from February to June, and from September to November.

Alongside programming for our partner venues, we also produce our own projects, including Silents by the Sea at Morecambe Winter Gardens, as well as distinctive community and young people’s participatory music initiatives. These projects extend our work beyond the screen, celebrating creativity and connection through live performance.

For further information about Northern Silents, or to discuss opportunities to collaborate, please contact our artistic director, Jonny Best.

Northern Silents was previously known as Yorkshire Silent Film Festival.