Tim Stead Memory Bank
Tim Stead Memory Bank
A digital archive of stories, making and memory
Overview
The Tim Stead Memory Bank is a digital project developed by the Tim Stead Trust between October 2022 and February 2023. It was undertaken during an early stage in the Trust’s care of The Steading and its collection, at a point when it became clear that much of the knowledge surrounding the building and Tim Stead’s work existed only in people’s memories.
The aim of the project was to gather and preserve those memories, and to make them available in a form that could support how The Steading is understood, shared and experienced by others. The project builds on a substantial body of filmed material created by filmmaker Beatrix Wood of TrixPixMedia in 2020 and 2021. Over twenty hours of interviews and recorded conversations had already been captured with people who knew Tim, worked alongside him, or were closely connected to The Steading.
This material was combined with additional donated footage and then carefully reviewed and edited as part of the Memory Bank project. In some cases, further recordings were made to fill gaps or expand on particular areas. The process involved selecting, organising and shaping the material into a set of films that could be used for interpretation, learning and public engagement.
The project resulted in a collection of 23 short films. Some of these focus on specific parts of The Steading, explaining how certain rooms or features were designed and made. Others look more broadly at Tim Stead’s practice, tracing his development as a sculptor and furniture maker and his approach to working with wood. Several films explore the environmental context of his work, including his commitment to Scottish hardwoods and his role in establishing Wooplaw Community Woodland.
Taken together, the films offer a range of perspectives rather than a single account, allowing different experiences and recollections to sit alongside one another.
Many of the details about how The Steading was made, and how Tim worked, were never formally documented. They were passed on through conversation, observation and shared experience.
As time passes, those first hand accounts become harder to access. The Memory Bank project was a way of recording them while they were still available, so that future visitors, volunteers and researchers can draw on that knowledge.
This is particularly important for a place like The Steading, where the meaning of the work is closely tied to how it was made, how it was used, and how it relates to the surrounding landscape.
The films are now used across a range of the Trust’s activities. They support guided tours by providing additional context and detail, and they are used in volunteer training so that new guides can learn directly from those who knew the work closely. They are also used in workshops, events and educational settings, offering different ways for people to engage with the material.
Subtitled and audio described versions of the films have been produced to improve accessibility, and the digital format allows the content to be shared more widely beyond the building itself.
The Memory Bank continues to inform how The Steading is interpreted and understood. It provides a reference point for those working on site, and a way for visitors to connect more fully with the stories behind what they see. It also remains open ended. As the Trust’s work develops, there is scope to revisit and build on this material, adding further recordings and perspectives over time.
The Feature Film by Beatrix Wood - Tim Stead: Magician in Wood was available on STV Player until October 2025 whilst touring film festivals across Europe.
