Case Study
Hearing history in its own voice
To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a national education project set out to help pupils explore the document through enquiry rather than explanation.
The challenge was to make a famous historical document worthy of investigation. Pupils needed to understand Magna Carta as a document shaped by conflict, power, negotiation and competing interests.
We created a series of filmed “interviews” with key historical figures. Each character offered a different perspective on the events surrounding Magna Carta, allowing pupils to hear the arguments and tensions behind the document.
Our role combined storytelling, education design and production. The films were designed to sit alongside original documents, helping pupils compare testimony, examine evidence and reach their own conclusions.
By hearing conflicting voices from the past, students could explore how history is constructed, whose voices are heard, and how evidence can be interpreted.
The result was an educational film resource that helped pupils encounter Magna Carta as more than a date or document. It became a debate to investigate, giving young people a clearer way into the people, pressures and choices behind the history.
The project turned Magna Carta from a document to remember into a debate to explore.
