INSPIRE: Film-maker Josephine Jay on finding Albany’s hidden artists for 2026 documentary ‘In The Making’

Film-maker and visual designer Josephine Jay is putting her skills to the test this year to shine a light on Albany’s humble but dedicated artists and craftspeople, unearthing hidden talents and decades of history in a new documentary. Jay arrived in Albany 17 years ago and quickly fell in love with the Great Southern and has built her film-making and design company Gneiss Design from scratch from her home studio in the city. When describing her work, she often returns to the impact people and place have on each other, and the deeply interwoven relationship between humans, history, and the natural environment. Originally from the UK, Jay studied architecture at the Edinburgh School of Art, but said she always felt the pull of her more creative side. Her production and design company is named after a type of rock found both on the Albany coastline, and in the Outer Hebrides, including on the Isle of Lewis, where Jay has close family connections. “I wanted to be honest that those two places, those identities, were both important to me, and I found commonalities between the old places and the new, not just in the communities but in nature,” she said. “It’s fundamental to me to show integrity in my work and to have meaning in the things that I do. “I never do something just for the sake of money or just getting by or whatever, and I think that’s part of the success and the energy of my projects, is that I go in with heart, with meaning.” One of Jay’s most enduring working relationships has been with Theatre 180, producing the digital backdrops for the company’s immersive digital and stage shows including 21 Hearts, Taking Liberty, a Fortunate Life, and The Lighthouse Girl Saga. However her current project, which was approved in August for funding under the City of Albany’s Regional Events and Film Sponsorship program, is a film shining a light on the hidden talents of artists and craftspeople in Albany. The documentary, entitled ‘In The Making’, will showcase local artists and craftspeople of all kinds from painters to clothing designers to luthiers. “In Albany, I’ve been here for 17 years, which is a while but I’m probably still not quite a local, but there are so many amazing people doing extraordinary creative things, many of whom are quite unknown because they keep to themselves,” Jay said. “This is a great opportunity to really bring some of those crafts to the broader community, to bring those craftspeople to the fore, and really celebrate their art. “There is such value in their creative output, it does benefit the community as a whole, and it gives us all an opportunity to understand each other better and to appreciate the kind of capacity and potential we have as human beings to make beautiful things and to acknowledge that we all have stories. “Ultimately everybody’s story makes its way into these crafts, when you pick up an item that somebody has made, you can feel that energy and passion that’s been put into it. “I’m just a real advocate for creativity and community, I think there’s a lot to be celebrated.” Jay received a total of $19,250 in funding from the City of Albany to produce the 40-minute documentary, which will launch alongside an exhibition at the Albany Town Hall in mid-2026. Jay’s husband Edward is a professional accordion player and produces his own brand of 3D-printed accordions, a business he has recently expanded to violins, which will also feature in the documentary. The pair regularly perform around Albany as a duo act with Josephine on violin, including at the Albany International Folk ‘n Shanty Festival, and often take to the stage with their 3D-printed instruments. The documentary will also include historical and Indigenous craftsmanship like the Oyster Harbour fish traps, and stories of wool manufacturing at the Albany Woollen Mills, giving viewers a unique look into the long history of Albany’s accomplished craftspeople. “I think in a world that’s really changing, this is quite a crossover point for us to look at what we have done historically, what we’re doing now, and really celebrate the lived experience and the physical, tactile objects we create and put energy into,” Jay said. “It’s about the dedication of the people out there who are doing these crafts, but it’s also about how they weave into Albany’s story and its history, I’m quite motivated to tell a story of Albany through craft.”