I took part in the ‘When Yesterday Was Young’ project which included the Beamish Outreach sessions, the Johnny Miner song, the Durham Mining Museum research, the Michael Chaplin research at Redhills and all of the ‘When Yesterday Was Young’ rehearsals. It was an unforgettable experience and was extremely beneficial in that it helped to give context for the performances.
I knew some information about mining in the local area before the performance, but taking part in the activities provided me with an opportunity to learn more about both life in the mines and about the communities outside of the mines.
I was really disappointed that I was unable to take part in all of the sessions (as I was busy) however those that I did attend were fantastic. On some of the performance days, I was given the task of asking for comments in our guest books and it was incredible hearing about the effects of the local industry on people.
This verbal communication was a fantastic way of learning the real stories and made me realise just how much mining has affected people for generations.