About Us
Why is the Acorn Cottage Kitchen "a magic bubble?"
It all began in 2004 as a group of Chagford young people were hanging around the kitchen of founder Elizabeth-Jane Baldry complaining that there was nothing to do in the holidays.
"Let's make a movie!" said mum (who is a concert harpist in her grown-up job)
Out of this rash suggestion came Woodwose, a half-hour adaptation of a Grimm's fairytale. A £500 bursary from Exeter Phoenix funded a second film, this time an English fairytale, Pottle o' Brains. After this, the group was set up as a non-profit, voluntary organization focusing on the fantastic heritage of British fairytales and folklore.
We have now made a film every year for the last seven years, usually involving over a hundred people! In 2010 we were awarded funding to shoot our first feature film, Sir Lanval.
And although large numbers of young people are still hanging out in mum's kitchen, they are no longer complaining there is nothing to do! In fact the tiny kitchen has been called "a magic bubble" because of all the madness that goes on there.
"a perfect example of how to adapt a folktale to the screen. I show it to my students."
- Ari Berk, professor of literature and mythology, Central Michigan University
