OU BBC Co-production "The Fires that Foretold Grenfell" Wins Best Broadcast Award

"Arresting, well-researched, with strong emotional impact" was how OU BBC co-production The Fires that Foretold Grenfell was described by the judges at the 2019 Learning on Screen Awards.

The 60-minute documentary told the dramatic and haunting story of five fires that foretold the Grenfell disaster. Told through memories of survivors, the bereaved, firefighters, safety experts, and the politicians linked to five intensely fierce fire disasters that preceded Grenfell. This telling collection of interviews and archive footage shows the clear warnings that existed and could have predicted a Grenfell-type inferno happening in Britain.

Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Head of Broadcast at The Open University said, “We are thrilled to win this award. Through our partnership with the BBC, we stimulate people’s curiosity, widen access to new learning opportunities and transfer knowledge across a wide range of areas.

Many people fondly remember our academics on screen delivering late-night lectures and open forums on BBC 2. These will forever have an iconic place in the OU’s history but today, almost 50 years on, our educational partnership with the BBC provides rich content across TV, radio and digital channels and other learning platforms.” 

The Learning on Screen Awards are the UK’s only celebration of film and media in education and since 2005 it has showcased the very best of educational television, recognised the valuable moving image output of the UK’s leading universities, and provided a platform for a generation of upcoming student filmmakers.

Find out more about The Fires that Foretold Grenfell on OpenLearn.