Miners and media at Teesside

The 1984-85 Miner’s Strike was one of the most bitterly fought industrial disputes of the late 20th century. Teenagers from across the UK will explore media coverage of the strike, while taking part in the University of Teesside’s second Digital Arts & Media Summer School.

At the University they will complete a project to create a film clip by examining the media reporting of the 1984-85 miner’s strike, which was used as the backdrop for the hit film and now stage musical, Billy Elliot.

The teenagers will use footage from the Northern Regional Film and Television Archive which is housed at the University and also interview eyewitnesses from the National Union of Miners.

Students will complete their research under the guidance of staff from the history department, which has been judged to be at a level of international excellence by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. They will produce their film clips using on-campus television and radio facilities under the expert direction of staff from the media department.

The Summer School will be attended by more than 30 recent school leavers from across the UK, who will also live on campus in halls of residence. They will also examine the history of the internet, the media reporting of history and up-to-date communication techniques.

Lucy Owens, Summer School Co-ordinator, said: “This is the second Digital Arts & Media Summer School we have run. The first one was a great success and we had a lot of applications for this one. I hope that our newest ‘students’ really enjoy their time here and want to come back to Teesside.”

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