Wolverhampton academic features in Northern Soul: Still Burning cinema release

A University of Wolverhampton academic has helped bring the story of Northern Soul to the big screen in a new documentary now showing in cinemas across the Midlands and the UK.

Northern Soul: Still Burning, which was released nationwide on Friday (May 15) is screening in more than 150 cinemas, including venues in West Bromwich, Dudley, Birmingham, Coventry, Telford and Worcester.

The documentary explores the rise of the Northern Soul movement from working class communities in the north and Midlands during the late 1960s and 1970s, while also examining how the scene continues to inspire new generations today.

Professor Keith Gildart, Professor of Labour and Social History at the University of Wolverhampton, contributed research to the film and also appears on screen, helping to tell the story of one of Britain’s most influential underground music movements.

Professor Gildart said: “Northern Soul was a significant music scene in the Midlands and the north in the 1970s. It was the soundtrack for young people living through the closure of factories, coal mines and the fragmentation of working class communities.”

The film features rare archive footage alongside interviews with key figures from the scene, capturing the music, fashion and community spirit that defined Northern Soul. It revisits legendary all-nighters at venues such as Wigan Casino and explores the culture’s continuing influence today.

Critics have described the documentary as a “thumping celebration of the legendary underground club scene” and praised its portrayal of a movement that has remained culturally relevant for decades.

A spokesperson for production company Screenbound said the response from audiences had been overwhelmingly positive.

They said: “We have been so pleased with the reaction to the film’s release this past weekend from critics, but more importantly from audiences across the country. Northern Soul holds such a special place in people’s hearts and across the generations that we couldn’t be happier with the response.”