Washington celebrates its history and heritage with 60th birthday culmination event

Last year (2024) saw a range of events take place to mark the milestone, including a summer party on the on the weekend leading up to the town’s official birthday on July 24.

Entitled The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass, in reference to to the town’s many subways and the stone crocodiles which used to be in Princess Anne Park, the project has included the creation of a podcast of residents’ memories of the formative years of the New Town as well as a number of photomontages of old pictures.

We Make Culture musicians Paige Temperley, and David Brewis, from the Mercury Prize nominated band Field Music, worked with community members and young people at Arts Centre Washington (ACW) to turn some of the stories collected into new original songs.

Many of the songs, as well as well as poems from award-winning poet Nasim Rebecca will be performed by the artists at the celebratory event at Arts Centre Washington (ACW) on Thursday, March 13 at 7pm, where people will also be able to hear the podcasts and see the exhibited photomontage.

The year long project has been led by the Washington Heritage Partnership.

The partnership’s development co-ordinator Dr Jude Murphy said: “The songs are just brilliant. David and Paige have written clever pastiches of music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, including an amazing David Bowie pastiche, which reflects the RCA factory in Washington which printed Bowie records.

“Huge thanks to David and Paige, but also to the young people from We Make Culture who’ve made such an important contribution to the project.”

The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass exhibition will feature the work of artist Tommy Anderson who has created a series of photomontages which celebrate the urban landscapes, culture and social heritage of Washington.

Using images from Washington Library archive and new photography, the artworks explore themes of industry, construction, housing and community, portraying a snapshot of life in the town over the past 60 years.

Tommy said: “Over several months I photographed the architecture, monuments, signage, public art and other structures and objects around each village in Washington to gather source material for the artworks.

“The 'present day' artworks are a visual snapshot in time. From the stunning Old Hall and F-Pit, to the local shops and allotments, the artworks explore the prominent, every day and hidden local gems.

“As well as creating a series of artworks representing present day Washington, I also used archive photographs to produce another series of artworks illustrating the history of the area, from the bygone coal mining industry, to the construction of a new town and the communities that called it home.”

The latest podcast edition of the Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass will also be released on the same day as the exhibition alongside a 100-page publication about the project.

Dr Jude Murphy said: “This is the second series of podcasts which our community podcasting group has produced through weekly sessions led by Grace Stubbings.

“The project would not have been possible without Grace’s expertise and the support of the University of Sunderland’s media and communications department who have provided invaluable expertise and practical help.”

National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded Sunderland Culture £72,600 for Washington Heritage Partnership to run the project.

Helen Featherstone, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We're delighted to have supported Sunderland Culture to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Washington as a new town.

“It is heartening to see that so many of Washington’s communities have come together to create songs, artworks and podcasts that honour their hometown.

“We're sure that the live performances and exhibition will form part of a fitting celebration to mark six decades of Washington.”

Washington Heritage Partnership brings together nine partners to champion heritage and culture in Washington. Partners include Sunderland Culture, Sunderland City Council, Community Opportunities, NE-BIC, National Trust Washington Old Hall, NE Land Sea and Air Museums, Bowes Railway, Heritage Sunderland Partnership, and Social Enterprise Acumen. Funding for the partnership comes from Sunderland City Council via Washington Area Committee.

Washington was created a New Town on July 24, 1964, one of several developments planned with visions of replacing smaller settlements built around older housing and industries with a new urban identity, homes, jobs, and community cohesion.

Tickets for the event can be found on the Sunderland Culture website on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis.