The Circular Economy School
Documentary Videography & Social-First Content
Documentary filmmaking, video production and social-first content creation for a pioneering circular economy education programme in Park Royal, London.
The Circular Economy School is a paid sustainable design and making programme for young people in West London, delivered by Absolute Beginners in collaboration with ReCollective and Rescued Clay and funded by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). The programme gives young people aged 17–21 the opportunity to develop practical skills in sustainable design, making and circular production, transforming waste and reclaimed materials into new products.
From waste materials to new possibilities
Filming took place across the programme, capturing workshops, practical making, conversations and the development of the participants' ideas. The footage follows the journey from experimentation through to the creation of three new products and the development of a market stall, culminating in public presentations and a market event connected to London Craft Week.
The resulting five-minute documentary film brings these different strands together into a concise, character-led story about young people, sustainable design and the future of making in London.
From waste materials to new possibilities
Lavanda Films was commissioned to document the programme through filming, documentary storytelling and video editing, creating a five-minute film that captures the people, processes and ideas behind the project.
Rather than simply documenting the finished products, the filmmaking follows the participants through the process of learning, experimenting and making - exploring what happens when materials traditionally considered waste are treated as valuable local resources.
The project also provided an opportunity to create content beyond the main documentary. Throughout production and post-production, footage was shaped into social-first video content, giving the project a library of short-form assets designed for digital audiences and allowing key moments, ideas and participant stories to reach audiences across social media.
This approach enables organisations to get more value from their filming, creating a flexible archive of visual content that can support communications, fundraising, project reporting, audience engagement and future campaigns.
The Circular Economy School demonstrates Lavanda Films' approach to documentary videography, sustainability storytelling and social-first video production: thoughtful filmmaking that captures the substance of a project while creating engaging content designed to connect with audiences online.
From waste materials to new possibilities
For projects like the Circular Economy School, the value of video extends beyond a single finished film. By considering the wider content strategy during production, I can capture footage that works across multiple formats — from a longer documentary narrative to concise vertical videos, interviews, promotional edits and social media content.
