Echoes of Protest
A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ is an exhibition of work that has been created as part of this research.
Project items include: · 26′ audio documentary by Esther Johnson and Debbie Ballin · A photographic series by Esther Johnson · A curated selection of artefacts, from the People’s History Museum archive (PHM exhibition); National Coal Mining Museum for England (NCMME exhibition); and project contributors http://echoes-of-protest.weebly.com @echoesofprotest This project is supported by the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. Further support has come from the People’s History Museum, Manchester, and National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield. Gallery Exhibitions A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield 12.11.16–18.01.17 The People’s Archive: Untold Stories of the Miners’ Strike NCMME Exhibition Opening 12.11.16, 13:00–16:00, with speaker sessions and live music Christmas Wishes workshop 10.12.16, 13:00–16:00 A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ People’s History Museum, Accumulator Gallery, Manchester 05.12.15–18.01.16 PHM Exhibition Opening 06.12.15, 12:00–15:30, with live performance of traditional colliery band music, Miners’ hymns and Christmas carols by Salford Brass Conference, Symposia and Seminars IOHA 2018 Memory and Narration The XX International Oral History Association Conference. University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvasklya, Finland Audio-Visual Presentation - Echoes of Protest Histories of Childhood and Family Tuesday June 19th 2018 - 10.30 -12.30 The People's Archive: Untold Stories of the Miners' Strike National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield. Exhibition Opening with speaker sessions and live music. 12 November 2016, 1–4pm A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ research presentation at Durham Miners’ Association Durham Miners’ Hall, Redhills, Durham 08.07.16 Echoes of Protest research presentation within seminar Social Haunting: The Psycho-Social Impact of the Miners’ Strike at With Banners Held High 2016 Unity Works, Wakefield 05.03.16 Echoes of Protest Art and Design Research Centre Seminar, Sheffield Hallam University 17.02.16 |
Echoes of Protest is a collaborative research project by Esther Johnson and Debbie Ballin
The initial element of this research is an exhibition and body of work titled A share of a pensioner’s Christmas 'Bonus' “We got presents that were donated…. I got a little cheap plastic watch and a coat that my auntie had made, but I just didn’t even care ’cos I was having so much fun.” Sam, Miner’s Daughter aged 15 during the strike – It’s Christmas 1984. Gayle, Mark and Sam are the children of striking miners. This is the story of how acts of generosity by total strangers made Christmas possible for them that year, and what it was like for them to grow up in the shadow of the Miners’ Strike. This exhibition bears witness to their untold stories, and includes artefacts from the People’s History Museum archive, and a newly commissioned audio-visual project. Exhibition Background During the Miners’ Strike in December 1984, the Thatcher government paid pensioners the same £10 Christmas heating bonus they had received since 1972. A nationwide appeal, in several national newspapers, invited pensioners to give up their bonus in support of the striking miners. Hundred’s of pounds worth of bonuses were donated to support this cause. Thanks to remarkable acts of generosity many children of Miners’ and their families were able to celebrate Christmas that year. Project Background A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ is part of a larger research project titled Echoes of Protest, investigating the legacy of being involved in significant protest movements from a child’s perspective. The project aims to understand the role protest can play in the politicisation of children and the long-term impact of its aftermath on their lives. Publications
Newspaper Johnson, E., Ballin, D. (2016) The People’s Echo 12-page newspaper published to accompany the exhibition 'A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’ at the National Coal Mining Museum for England Journal Article Co-authored journal article Echoes of Protest: untold stories of the 1984–1985 UK Miners’ Strike (2016) by Esther Johnson and Debbie Ballin published in Oral History Spring 2017, Volume 45 pp.100–110, ISSN 0143 0955 Book Chapter Co-authored chapter Voices from the Strike (2016) by Esther Johnson and Debbie Ballin published in Justice Denied: Friends, Foes and the Miners’ Strike edited by Allsop, D., Stephenson, C., and Wray, D. pp.64–76, ISBN 978-0-85036-730-0 London: Merlin Press Drawing upon original audio–visual research undertaken as part of A share of a pensioner’s Christmas ‘Bonus’, this book chapter highlights a perspective of the Strike that has seldom been explored. The stories collected are from adults remembering what it was like to grow up as a child during the Strike. Contributors articulate their experience with a maturity they may have been unable to express as children. The text follows Johnson and Ballin's methodology and findings, and discusses their editing process. |