In late 2025, Klaxon won a public sector tender to become an approved video supplier for Historic England. We direct, shoot, and edit films for them in-house. Our first commission was a short documentary about Bruce Grove Toilets in Tottenham. Yes, a toilet block. Bear with us!
Built in the Victorian era, the Bruce Grove Toilets hold a genuinely significant place in history - they were among the first public toilets purpose-built for female use, making them an important landmark in the story of women's rights. By the 1980s they had fallen into disrepair and were eventually closed. A grant from Historic England and local bodies funded their restoration, and the toilet block recently reopened as a community cafe.
Our brief was to tell the story of the Toilet block to the present day and tell the significance it holds in cultural history. Matt directed it, Charlie and Jake shot it, and the edit was handled in-house at Klaxon. Matt and Charlie also led the creative development.
The approach was to avoid anything overly formal and instead give the film a light touch, using humour but also being respectful to the significance of the subject matter. Heritage filmmaking often requires a particular sensitivity and getting the tone right is vital. We wanted the film to be authoritative without being dry, yet be engaging without being flippant. The Bruce Grove film is a great example of what that looks like in practice.
Yes, we are an approved supplier for Historic England, having won a competitive public sector tender in 2025. We understand the specific requirements that come with public sector commissions such as procurement processes, sign-off structures, and the expectation that public money is being spent wisely.
Yes, heritage filmmaking is a discipline that rewards genuine curiosity and careful creative development and it also helps that part of the team at Klaxon have a genuine interest in HIstory! The best heritage films find the human story inside the historical one and that requires a production team willing to do the research and ask the right questions - which is all very easy when you’re genuinely interested in the subject.
Yes, Klaxon is fully ‘end to end’. We handle creative development, production management, directing, shooting, and editing entirely in-house. There are no handoffs to third-party editors or post-production houses, the same team that develops the creative sees it through to the final cut.