New exhibition tells stories of Sunderland and Washington mining communities in vivid detail

The latest exhibition to open at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens is a vivid combined arts show featuring the real faces, hands, voices and words of those who toiled in the lost pits of Sunderland and Washington.

Coal Face is the result of creatives, Sunderland-based photographer Andy Martin and Middlesbrough author Dr Louise Powell, who have sensitively retold the stories of 60 workers and their family members, the oldest participant being 101.

As well as the men who worked underground in the industry, which so shaped regional identity today, it tells the story of the women workers on the surface.

The remarkably-detailed project, which captures the hardships as well as the fierce community spirit of the coalfields, started life in 2023 with the exploration of memories of mining in Washington from 13 ex-pitmen and an exhibition of portraits of the miners at Washington’s F-Pit.

Andy’s photographs and Louise’s poetry were also published in a Coal Face book and they went on to broaden the project, speaking to the families of miners in Washington about the life of pitmen and their families – and about the experiences of moving to a New Town.

From October last year, Louise and Andy turned their attention to Sunderland, looking for memories from miners and their families of Herrington Colliery, Hylton Colliery, Ryhope Colliery, Silksworth Colliery and Wearmouth Colliery.

As a result, the new exhibition, which is free to visit, looks at workers and mining communities across Washington and Sunderland.

Andy’s intimate portraits, which he creates using traditional tin type photography, a process which dates back to the 1850s, hang alongside Louise’s poems told in their original vernacular.

The exhibition also includes pictures of artefacts connected to mining, such as bars of soaps from the pit showers and cutlery from colliery canteens.

Speaking about his style of photography - using the collodion process, where images are taken directly on metal and glass plates before being developed in a dark room - Andy said: “It creates a very honest portrait, there’s no hiding anything which totally fits with the subjects in this project because there is such an honesty and integrity to them.”

The photographer says the project is a warts and all look at mining life.

“There were some funny stories, some touching and some harrowing. Some of them saw their marras get killed in the pits, but we haven’t shied away from that, “explained the artist.

He added: “It was so important that this project was done in the right way and by the right people.

“We both live here, we know the loss of the industry. And it’s really important these stories are kept alive but in a vibrant way.

Louise’s poems, meanwhile, are taken from 32 hours of interviews with the workers and their families.

“It was so important to maintain the rhythm of their speech with the dialect,” she explained.

Speaking about the importance of the mining industry to regional identity, she added: “What went on underground fed into what went on overground. That ethos of solidarity and looking out for each other, it fed into every day life.”

As part of the project, snippets from the interviews with miners and their families and soundscapes of mining will be used in podcasts, edited and produced by Nick John Williams.

One episode will be released every week of the exhibition and will be available free through Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Coal Face is supported using funding from Arts Council England and delivered in partnership with Sunderland Culture, The Cultural Spring, Redhills Durham and University College London.

*The free Coal Face exhibition is on display in the Special Exhibition Space at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens until Saturday, March 15.

Make your own portrait

On Saturday, February 28, young people will be able to get fully involved in the Coal Face exhibition through Creative Coal Faces, three activity sessions during which children will be able to create their own portraits of miners and their families, inspired by Andy’s work.

Youngsters will be able to try different materials including charcoal, pastels and chalk. The sessions are at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm and will cost £2 per child – book here https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-coal-faces/