News

Stepney Western: A film project spotlighting the power of horses and alternative education in the city

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

A creative film project, Stepney Western, has been shining a spotlight on the transformative impact of alternative provision - educational arrangements for students who can’t attend a mainstream school - at Stepney Bank Stables in Newcastle. Based in the heart of the Byker area of the city, this urban equestrian centre offers young people opportunities to learn and develop outside of mainstream education, with horses as a powerful foundation.

The film, made by artist and documentary filmmaker Harry Lawson, draws inspiration from real experiences at the stables. It reimagines the local cityscape as a stylised Western setting, with the young people at its heart taking centre stage, not just as participants, but as the protagonists of their own stories.

Blending documentary and fiction, Stepney Western captures the spirit of the stables and the meaningful work done there. It’s a thought-provoking reflection on how alternative provision can offer new paths for those who might not thrive in traditional classroom settings.

Stepney Bank Stables provides a safe and welcoming space in the middle of the city. Here, young people can build confidence, connect with others and discover a new passion for horses, all while being more physically active. Because urban equestrian centres such as this are easily accessible, they open doors for more people to engage in equestrian activities and connect with horses in a natural environment.

Sara Newson, centre manager at Stepney Bank Stables, shared, "It's been a fantastic experience for the young people involved in Stepney Western, both in front of and behind the camera. For someone to think that their lives are worthy of being documented in a film is incredibly empowering and confidence building. Harry has captured their personalities and showed the work of the stables so fully and beautifully. It's often difficult to explain the life-changing impact of horses and riding on young people, but Stepney Western captures it clearly. Being involved in a creative endeavour has helped us get to know the young people and their strengths, passions and talents in a different way and helped them to explore their interests."

One of the young people who attends Stepney Bank Stables for alternative provision, Ella, takes the lead role in the film. Through attending sessions at the stables, which involve horse care and riding opportunities, she has developed skills and knowledge to aid her educational progression. Being part of the Stepney Western project has seen further development in her confidence and discovery of a new passion for the film and arts sector.

Stepney Western is a testament to how spaces like Stepney Bank Stables can change lives, especially for young people who need different routes to thrive.

Interview

Ella

Ella attends Stepney Bank Stables for alternative provision education and is the star of the Stepney Western film project.

What activities do you enjoy with the horses?

Every Thursday, I come to Stepney and do yard work - mucking out, feeding the horses and taking them up to the outdoor so they can play. In the last half hour of my session, I get a ride. Sometimes I don’t ride, but groundwork’s my favourite. I like doing lungeing or taking them into the arena just to play around.

Tell us about your favourite horse at Stepney Bank.

Larry the horse. He’s really funny and can be a bit cheeky sometimes.

What’s been your equestrian highlight so far?

When I went on a hack and did a gallop - I’d never done that before and it was really fun. Also, when I did my first jump with Polly.

What did you enjoy about being involved in the Stepney Western project?

I liked seeing how far I’ve come. I’ve learned a lot and grown in confidence. When I first started here, I wouldn’t talk to people at all, and now I know everyone here.

What do you hope people feel after watching the film?

I want people to see how incredible the stables are and support them. The film shows what coming here did for me - it got me out of trouble.

What was it like being part of the filming?

It was fun. You get to joke around, meet new people, and do different things we don’t normally do, like the campfire scene.

Favourite film, series or book?

Vampire Diaries. Damon’s my favourite character.

Harry Lawson

Harry is a documentary filmmaker who created the Stepney Western project.

What do you love about your work?

I love being embedded in communities and spending time getting to know people I wouldn’t meet otherwise. Stepney Western was my ideal kind of project. Meeting people like Ella, for example, has been a huge part of that.

What inspired Stepney Western?

I was interested in the technical challenge of making a Western in an urban environment. Westerns usually need wide-open spaces, and here we are in central Newcastle with trains and traffic flying past.

Seeing teenagers on horses in that setting is pretty unique. I didn’t know anything about alternative provision until I started filming. Ella was the first person I really spoke to about it, and she’s got this amazing story. She was out of mainstream education and came here, and I think through this community, she’s gone on a bit of a journey.

What did you enjoy most about filming?

The relationships that I’ve got with the people here. It feels like a big family and I’ve been made to feel like an honorary member, even though I know nothing about horses.

What I’ve taken away the most is a huge faith in young people. They often get a bad rep, but I’ve found them to be intelligent and insightful — they have interesting things to say if given the right conditions to do so.

How did you find the film-making process with the involvement with horses?

I don't have a history with horses. So, it was completely new. But they are extremely beautiful, and famously very cinematic animals - so it's not difficult to make a film about horses in terms of it looking good because they're quite muscular, majestic animals. Ella likes to think I'm scared.

I was anticipating a lot more competitions and young riders trying to come first or win rosettes, but it was way more about the relationships between the young people and the horses. Some of my favourite moments filming were quiet moments of them with the horses, like grooming or just spending time with them.

What outcomes do you hope for the project?

The Newcastle premiere had 256 people, which is mad! But we do have big ambitions for it to go elsewhere and to make its way into the world.

One unexpected outcome has been discovering Ella’s passion for drama. She’s brilliant on camera. Mostly, I hope the young people involved keep growing in confidence and finding new opportunities, whatever form that takes.

On the relationship between young people and horses:

Harry: I’ve seen it first-hand - someone arrives upset after a rough day at home or school, and after time with the horses, you can see a shift in their mood. Caring for a horse has this grounding effect.

Ella: You’ve got to have a bond with a horse. The bond fixes you. If you’re upset, they sense it. They won’t be nasty, they just know.

See more of the project here.

All images: Stepney Western (2025). ©Harry Lawson