Durham Miners Gala 2023
About The Project
In 2023, Lizzie Lovejoy was invited by Redhills (Durham Miners Institute) to work with Sacriston Youth And Community Project [SYCP] on a creative programme of activity which would lead to a performance on the stage at The Big Meeting.
Investigating into the archives, Lizzie poured through slogans, headlines and quotes to learn about the words lingering in our heritage. The young people (8-12 years old) of SYCP, lead by Lizzie, created and co-wrote a series of poems focused on the miners strikes, miners work and mining language.
Lizzie was also commissioned to create a range of illustrartions and animatics for presentation on the screen and in an accessible zine/booklet.
Inspired by the young people, Lizzie wrote a small collection of poems as well. Four young people from the SYCP read their written works on stage in front of 5000 people, followed by Lizzie Lovejoy's performance.
I AM CULTURE
Since we were small
We were told all
About what culture is, who it's for,
Who can make it and exactly what door
Will keep it from the grubby palms
Of working class children, its only for the calm
Collected, respectable gents...
Well, one day I hope they repent,
Cause their white box rooms
With marble, oils and tapestries on looms
Are a limited view.
Yes, culture can be wonderfully old, but also new,
It's in our shoreline factories
And actually
We embody culture,
We live culture
Breathe and exist as culture,
Rich, loud and glorious,
It's euphoria!
Each working class hand
Has the right to demand
A place in heritage, because we create it
Dish it up and plate it,
In lemon tops, parmos and sausage rolls.
So I will stand and take up my role
As part of culture.
I AM CULTURE.
On Whose Shoulders
Lizzie created a poem for Durham Miners Gala 2023 entitled: On Whose Shoulders. It focuses on honouring the experiences & stories of the miners who formed our local heritage which also celebrating the young people who will build our future.
On whose shoulders do we stand?
On those with the calloused hands.
The foundations of our past
were laid by the working-class
with this torch that they pass
There is a future to build
and we will
The wheel now stands still
but we could never
with thousands of feet marching together
and a war of words, weapons at the ready,
sure and steady
one brick at a time.
On whose shoulders do we stand?
The shoulders of mothers,
of fathers and brothers
not those of giants
but what they did was giant
bold and defiant
with nothing to lose but chains
a proud heritage remains.
On your shoulders we build,
we always rise with each attempt to be killed,
unity is strength and we have the might
sometimes you must fight
for what’s right
and we follow the example of who came before
because isn’t that what it’s all for?
On the shoulders of Northern lads and lasses,
No rose tinted glasses
it was grime and muck and labour
it was knowing your neighbour
working side by side
to provide
for families. For Home.
For our own.
The past we inherit. And we give it respect.
Those shoulders had so many people to protect.
The future we build, with childrens palms
they have all the pieces tucked under their arms
the youth of today will lead tomorrow,
and from the Pitmens strength we borrow.
We are more than
We are northern
We are culture, we are all
We deserve to stand up tall
Unity is strength! We shall not forget.
March ever onwards without regret
Thank you for your calloused hands
It is on your shoulders that we stand.
The Young People (Poems 1, 3, 4, 5, 6)
The Newspaper Archives
