Film & Media

Members of the BVMA often produce short films of the BVMA’s activities, explore our favourites below.

A Violin Bow - The Process of creation

Bill Watson, one of the last great bow makers of the W.E. Hill & Sons dynasty on the process of making a bow. In 2016 the BVMA published it’s latest book, The Hill Bow Makers 1880-1960 with an exhibition at the Bate Collection at Oxford University to mark it’s publication. Dawid Gumula and John Milnes produced a ten minute video interviewing Bill Watson and going through the method of bow making developed at W.E.Hill & Sons.

The BVMA-Organised Violin Restoration and Bow Restoration & Making Courses at West Dean

The British Violin Making Association has organised concurrent courses both in violin restoration and in the restoration and making of bows which has been running since 2006. The run every two years for a ten-day period at West Dean College, and bring together some of the worlds leading restorers as tutors on a professional development course intended to raise the standards of restoration in Britain and around the world. John Milnes interviews some of the faculty and students from the 2016 course.

Bow Making and Restoration at West Dean

Tim Baker, Derek Wilson and Evan Orman speak to John Milnes about teaching on the BVMA bow making and restoration course held every two years at West Dean College.

Four Violin Makers at the Royal Northern College of Music

William Castle, Marc Soubeyran, Tibor Szemmelweisz and Kai-Thomas Roth working together over seven days at the Royal College of Music to produce a pair of baroque violins. John Milnes follows their progress.