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News From Durham (1983)

Amber Current Affairs Unit

News From Durham (1983) image
Still from News From Durham, 1984 ©Amber Films / Amber Current Affairs Unit

News From Durham (1983)

A discussion 'trigger tape' exploring coalfield campaign concerns in the build-up to the Miners' Strike of 1984.
  • Film and Video
  • Industrial
  • Politics & Struggles
  • Work & Unemployment
  • 1980 – 1989
  • County Durham
  • UK

Amber Current Affairs Unit, 13 minutes, 1984

News From Durham is a 1983 documentary produced by the Amber Film and Photography Collective. It brings together footage from the 100th Durham Miners' Gala, held in September 1983, alongside extracts from a National Union of Mineworkers weekend school. The film serves as both a historical record and a tool for discussion, highlighting key concerns within mining communities in the lead-up to the 1984 Miners' Strike.

The film was created as a trigger tape, designed to spark discussions in trade union meetings and community settings.Set against the backdrop of growing tensions in the coal industry, News From Durham documents a pivotal moment in British mining history. The film reflects the resilience of the mining communities as they prepared for what would become one of the most defining industrial disputes in the country's history.

Also included below you can delve deeper behind News From Durham, with the extended Where Are We Going, 1983, documentary (36 minutes), along with the full length rushes from the Miners' Weekend School 1983.

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© Amber Films / Amber Current Affairs Unit

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