Arts exhibition celebrating the North Pennines mining heritage

4 September 2024

The North Pennines National Landscape team has worked with artists throughout the summer to deliver community arts workshops, as part of the Land of Lead and Silver project.

The project has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players, and Historic England and will run between January 2024 to December 2027, working with volunteers and local communities to unearth the stories of lead and silver mining in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark.

The project has engaged an artist-in-residence, Abi Baker, and provided four bursaries to artists Anna Osborne, Carole McCourt, Daniel Weatheritt, and Leanne Bain, who are taking a new look at the industrial heritage that has shaped the North Pennines landscape and its people.

The artists have offered community workshops across the North Pennines to engage people in the lead and silver mining heritage of the area in creative and accessible ways. The artwork created during the workshops by participants and artists is now on show in the upstairs gallery at Bowlees Visitor Centre.

The exhibition includes handmade ceramic tiles created during Abi Baker’s workshops where participants were guided through the process of making the tiles, which were used in a mixed media mosaic, as part of The Land of Lead and Silver project.

Felt-maker, Anna Osborne introduced felting in her workshops where people took inspiration from the unique geology of the North Pennines to make hollow ‘geodes’ from layers of coloured wool. Once felted, they were cut open to reveal the magic within and embellished with crystals.

The legacy of the lead smelters and the timeless art of knitting were honoured in Carole McCourt’s community project. After stumbling across a photograph of a group of smelters at Rookhope Smelt Mill wearing woollen hand-knitted head coverings to protect them from the heat and draughts, she was inspired to use the knitting talents of the community to recreate approximately 30 of the miners’ shawls.

Graphic artist and designer, Daniel Weatheritt, led workshops where North Pennines illustrations were created using mixed media techniques. The resulting postcards and stamps collided wildlife, environmental and industrial themes and are digitally housed inside a cabinet representing the spar boxes made by miners in the past.

The traditional clippy mats in the exhibition were created during Leanne Bain’s workshops which stepped back into history to explore the lives of the North Pennines miners, taking inspiration from old photos and stories. Participants learned the traditional heritage techniques of clippy mat making to create a small rag rug, cushion or wall-hanging.

The exhibition is at Bowlees Visitor Centre until 30 September, open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Notes for editors

Contact the North Pennines National Landscape communications team for further information – communications@northpennines.org.uk  /  phone: 07920020648.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.

The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.

The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund  www.heritagefund.org.uk.

About Historic England
We are Historic England the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. We protect, champion, and save the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation. We care passionately about the stories they tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work, and play among them. Working with communities and specialists we share our passion, knowledge, and skills to inspire interest, care, and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds us all. Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland

The North Pennines National Landscape is one of England’s most special places – a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty. It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988. The purpose of this nationally recognised designation is the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the area.

At almost 2,000 sq. kilometres the North Pennines is the second largest of the 46 National Landscapes (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and is one of the most peaceful and unspoilt places in England. Visit www.landscapesforlife.org.uk for information about the National Landscapes family.

The North Pennines lies between the National Parks of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland with the urban centres of County Durham away to the east. Parts of the National Landscape are within the boundaries of four local authorities; Cumberland Council, Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council, and Westmorland & Furness Council.

The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership is an alliance of public, statutory and voluntary sector bodies with an interest in the future of the North Pennines. The work of the Partnership is carried out by the National Landscape team which takes action to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, to raise awareness of its special qualities and to improve the quality of life for local people.

UNESCO Global Geopark – As well as being a National Landscape, the North Pennines is a UNESCO Global Geopark. This puts the area’s Geopark status in the same UNESCO family as World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO Global Geoparks are places with outstanding geology where special effort is made to make the most of geological heritage to support community and economy. Locally this includes producing geo-trails, developing projects with school and community groups, producing displays for visitor attractions, and holding geology festivals and events.

The Land of Lead and Silver project has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England and will run between January 2024 to December 2027, working with volunteers and local communities to unearth the stories of lead and silver mining in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark.