Seven Signs is a short film created to complement our upcoming stage production, Nanny of the Maroons. The film champions the legend of Jamaica's national hero, Queen Nanny: a fearless leader, strategist and freedom fighter whose story has been largely excluded from mainstream education and representation.
Blending the haunting vocals of an original song with cinematic storytelling and animation, Seven Signs tells a story about the enduring legacy of female leadership, resistance and empowerment across generations. By centring the legend of Nanny of the Maroons through a contemporary lens, the film connects past and present, offering audiences a visually engaging and emotionally resonant experience.
The creation of this original piece provided a platform for emerging talent both on and off screen: members of our Belgrade Media Academy had the opportunity to take up work-shadowing placements on set, and the choir was made up of young women from the local community.
Belgrade Media Academy 2026/27 is our free nine-month training course in all aspects of digital media production, and Seven Signs provided Media Academy participants hands-on, work-shadowing experience on a professional set making this film. If you would like to be part of our next cohort, applications are open. Applications close Mon 21 Sep, 12pm.
Corah Fowles, who wrote the song that forms the basis of the film, started her career with Belgrade Theatre as a member of our community choir in our 2023 production of Big Aunty, before joining our Belgrade Ensemble group. She has now been commissioned as composer and lyricist for Nanny of the Maroons, a testament to both our co-creation practice and our talent development programmes.
The film (directed by Corey Campbell, produced and edited by Simone Herbert, with cinematography by Evgeny Sinelnikov) marks the fourth time this creative team have worked together. Most recently, they created the short film Turn + Draw, winner of the RTS Midlands 2025 “Diversity Champion” award.