Doncaster miners wanted for new documentary project

Wayne will interview and film Doncaster people miners, their families and other witnesses about the strike and the impact it had on their lives and communities.

Those interviews will form the centre of a major new projection mapping project that will be unveiled at Doncaster’s Cusworth Hall in the autumn.

The aim is also to then project the film onto the surviving headstock gear at the former Hatfield Main Colliery in Stainforth.

And the get the project started, Wayne is now looking for people to share their stories and experiences of the strike and its aftermath.

“I’m wanting to speak to the men who were miners, their wives, their children, people in the community and anybody in Doncaster and the surrounding villages who remembers what it was like to be part of this community in 1984,” said Wayne.

“I don’t just want to hear how the strike broke communities though - I want to explore how it galvanised those communities and brought them together.

“What I am really looking for is a real cross section of people so I can create something that is frank and open and has its roots firmly in Doncaster even though it will also have national significance and should resonate through all the UK communities from Wales to the North East and Scotland that were caught up in this pivotal moment of our industrial and political history.

“I grew up in this mining community and although I was only very young in 1984 and have no real memories of the strike, I do remember my dad going to picket, even though I didn’t really understand what that meant.

“But I am deeply rooted in to my heritage, my whole family is in Doncaster because of mining and it is deeply connected to who I am - I think it has also given me the strong sense of community that is an important part of a lot of the work I create.

“It may be 40 years since the strike now but the emotions of those times still run deep and have left an indelible mark that I want to explore.”

Interviewing and filming on Wayne’s new project is scheduled to start in May – anybody interested in taking part or wanting more information should email him at [email protected]