Felicity Sparrow: forming Circles

In this interview, Felicity Sparrow outlines the formation of Circles: Women's Film and Video Distribution in late 1979. She recounts the history of the group and its foundation amidst other initiatives, festivals and exhibitions, including the Hayward Gallery's Film as Film (1979) from which many UK women withdrew, and outlines how Circles' work remained distinct and distinctive in promoting women's work in the UK in film, video, performance and slide-tape, including expanded cinema work. She discusses her interest in the pioneer women in early cinema, especially Alice Guy, Germaine Dulac and Maya Deren. The group's work 1980-1985 is considered including their TV programmes, cinema screenings and the festivals they participated in and organised. Sparrow also took part in the Film Forum at the End of the Decade UN Women's Congress in 1985 in Nairobi and this experience is discussed.