Coal Face Volume 1 captures the last generation of Washington Miners’ memories and sense of belonging in a changing coalfield community in the ‘Coal Face’ project.  

Funded by Redhills, The Cultural Spring and University College London (UCL), this podcast was accompanied by an exhibition open to the public at Washington F Pit for the whole of September. 2023, a book which is available at https://redhillsdurham.org/shop/coal-face-washington-book/

Visuals created by Andy Martin https://martintype.co.uk/
Stories, writing and podcast by Dr Louise Powell https://louisepowellwriter.wordpress.com/
Audio production by Dr Nick John Williams https://nickjohnwilliams.co.uk/

Coal Face Podcast | Volume 1 | Washington

In Episode 25 I'm joined by playwright, novelist and academic Louise Powell to talk about bias in the creative arts, Northern storytelling and how winning the Sid Chaplin Award changed her life.

Find out more:
https://louisepowellwriter.wordpress.com/
https://louisepowellwriter.wordpress.com/first-stage/
X: @louise__powell
@RedhillsDurham
@NewWritingNorth

Music credit: 'Water of Tyne' performed by Edinburgh University Brass Band (2009) arranged by Jack Stobbs, edited and scored for Brass Band by David Dye. Used with kind permission of the publisher, arranger and performers.

Episode 25: Louise Powell

‘A Whole New Ball Game’ is a soundscape which traces the move from smaller pits to Sunderland’s ‘super-pit’, Wearmouth Colliery. There are tales from the canteen and deep underground, told by people who were part of the Coal Face project. The soundscape also features dramatic readings of poetry written by Louise Powell for the Coal Face Exhibition at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. Readings are performed by Andy Martin, John McMahon and Angela Rose.

‘Coal Face: A Whole New Ball Game’ is a soundscape designed, edited and produced by Nick John Williams, to a script which was written and curated by Louise Powell. It features recordings of Powell’s poems ‘Sunderland’, ‘Women In A Man’s World Part 1: Audrey, Wearmouth’s First Female Shop Steward’, and ‘Bodies’. The poems were read by Andy Martin, John McMahon and Angela Rose.

It also features clips from interviews with Steve Ibbitson, Tom Watson, David Newton, David Thacker, George Sanderson, Dennis O’ Brien, Martin Chapman, Colin Eddy, Chas Dimmock, Billy Crowe, Alan Mardghum, Maureen Brown-Canavan, Caroline Ramshaw, Frederick Branton, Henry Kirtley and David Chambers. Additional audio was recorded by Andy Martin.

‘Coal Face: A Whole New Ball Game’ is the second in a series of 3 soundscapes which have been created to accompany the Coal Face exhibition at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. The exhibition and project are supported using public funding from Arts Council England, and delivered in partnership with Sunderland Culture, The Cultural Spring, Redhills Durham and University College London. 

Special thanks must also go to Washington Millennium Centre, The Old Rectory and The Fans Museum for their support.


Coal Face Podcast Series 2 Soundscape 2: A Whole New Ball Game (Soundscape)

Dr Louise Powell

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