My Desire to Immerse Myself into The Study of History

I was sat cross-legged in front of our old television set. As a homeschooler, my mother tried to expose me to as much knowledge as possible. I was often allowed to stop studying to watch educational shows, although she’d often peep round the door to check I wasn’t watching cartoons. She needn’t have feared. If it wasn’t David Starkey, it would be an Elizabethan docudrama. History had me hooked, and once I found Paul Dowsell and Horrible Histories, my path was set.

Thanks to homeschooling, I was always free. We took term time visits to London museums and English Heritage sites. The latter definitely fueled my longest-standing hobby: period miniatures. Walking through time, seeing the architecture, and hearing the tour explain long lost lives enthralled and inspired me. To be able to recapture the past in such a delicate way felt magical. I continue to work on historically accurate miniatures in my local Makerspace, from little costumed dolls to furniture reproductions. The sociohistoric background to dollshouses also interests me greatly. When my father was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, medicine quickly ran out of answers. He moved us north from Harrow to the West Midlands, seeking treatment at a Bible college specialising in faith healing.

The culture change had a huge impact on me, bringing about a new direction of curiosity and understanding. On my dad’s death, I began seeking out heavier, angrier music to express everything brewing inside. I explored the world of rock, then heavy metal. I started watching music documentaries about the birth of the genre. I learned that the slow, heady riffs of Black Sabbath were due to their guitarist losing fingers at an Aston factory, and that Judas Priest’s lead singer was inspired by the rhythmic machine noises next to his primary school, which was barely a mile from my new home. It gave me a new grasp on the industrial pall that remained over Walsall. Having left my friends in London, and most local teenagers deciding I sounded “too posh”, I withdrew into myself, gorging on films and TV. Series followed series, movie followed movie. I was truly in love. I discovered YouTube’s video essays on film theory. I was captivated by the analysis & the beauty. I’ve always loved storytelling, but I’d only written books, bad poetry, and the occasional play. Suddenly, the realisation hit me that I could actually do this. I could make movies. So, I signed up to study Film & TV. School was very trying at times, but I was alive with ideas, ruining my sleep pattern to write them all down. Many of the productions I aim to one day make are historical; mostly they’re stories that help the viewer explore the past. I connect with history in its humanity, in the struggles & victories that governed each era.

I believe VR is the future, given its endless potential. It’s a medium I hope to experiment with. I haven’t had a conventional life. From the age of 5, my parents travelled across Europe, taking me with them. They became attached to Latvia, regularly flying out as we built up a derelict house. We met many fascinating people who opened up my world to incredible experiences. Learning about WWII and the Iron Curtain from those who’d survived it gave me an appreciation of Eastern European history. I got to tour a closed off nuclear bunker. I listened to an elderly bishop talk about Soviet persecution. I watched the filming of The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. My historical interests are forever evolving and changing. I learn a lot from the internet and BBC documentaries. I enjoy following my curiosity wherever it leads me. Mostly they are music, media, 20th century subcultures, the social impact of politics, and fashion. In my free time, I draw, swim, write, bake, and edit shorts. I design business cards, fake album covers, and magazine layouts. I also enjoy photography, having worked as a live photographer for conferences, gigs, & theatrical events.

I hope to throw myself wholeheartedly into the study of history. I am a very diligent, motivated worker, who can, and will, persevere through anything.