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Research

‘Made by Steel’ project to document industry injuries

03 December 2015

 

Workers who have sustained injuries over the decades working in the steel industry are being urged to come forward to help create a unique digital disability exhibition.

Simon with his father Robert McKeown.
Simon with his father Robert McKeown.

Simon McKeown, a Reader at Teesside University, is seeking volunteers to be part of his Made by Steel project. Made by Steel will capture digital footage of disabled steel workers’ injuries and tell the stories of how those injuries occurred and what effect they had on the individual. Video footage of steel workers and their specific injuries will be recorded and displayed on large screens and Simon is hoping to get people involved who have worked in the steel industry locally, nationally and internationally. Simon’s own father Robert McKeown is the first contributor to Made by Steel. He was seriously injured in the Billet Mill at Lackenby, Redcar on 16 April 1963. Robert was dragged into the rolling mill sustaining devastating injuries which left him with permanent disabilities. As a fit young man he survived after being rescued by co-workers Ralph Jackson, Maurice Dawson, and Malcolm McCarthy. He spent months in hospital in Shotley Bridge, undergoing 20 operations before returning to work a year later into a different role. As a former Boro Juniors player, football was now impossible, however he later became an avid golf player. Simon is an award-winning digital artist whose work often touches on, or considers, perceptions of disability. He is himself disabled having been born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a condition causing extremely low density bones. 'My father was a steel worker and suffered an injury which severely impacted his life,' explained Simon. 'I’ve been planning this work for a long time and don’t want this to become a requiem for the industry in the UK, rather I’m interested in creating a work which has a resonance about the historic and continuing risks and dangers workers experience to produce the products we use. 'The industrial revolution is ongoing globally and people around the world have different ideas of health, safety, injuries and what manufacturing and engineering is. I want this new work to showcase globally and to allow people to see different forms of disability in a way they haven’t experienced before, especially in relation to the steel history, both historic and present.' If you have sustained an injury as a steel worker and are interested in being considered for Made by Steel, email info@simon-mckeown.com, or see the Made by Steel Facebook page.

Simon is interested in steel workers from across the UK and the rest of the world. He has exhibited his work all over the world and his recent Cork Ignite project showcased a massive outdoor projection to an audience of over 7,000 as one of the main features of the all-Ireland event, Culture Night. Other projects include Motion Disabled Unlimited, a stunning digital installation that used animation to show how disabled athletes move and which was an integral part of the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad. He is also currently exhibiting his Preserved Memories work at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague as part of the Brave New World Exhibition. Preserved Memories examines the idea of bringing family members back to ‘virtual’ life through digital technology and social media activity.

Simon was also the guest speaker at an event at the Sage Museum in Gateshead, organised by Disability North, as part of the International Day of Disabled People on 3 December. The event explored a range of topics including the portrayal of disability in the media and disability in the arts.


Find out more about Simon McKeown's work
 
 
 
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