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People of the Hills is a long-term photographic portrait of life in the Upper Durham Dales, developed by Richard Grassick between 1977 and 2006.
The project began to take shape during the Unclear Family international photography workshops in Crook in 1993, which Grassick helped to organise. His work in County Durham followed a model of embedded practice. He produced images, created a context for other photographers, and built relationships that supported wider cultural activity. Amber had hoped to extend this model across the North East, but it was only fully realised in Durham through Grassick’s sustained presence and collaboration.
The photographs reflect a familiarity built over decades. They form a record of place and people, shaped by the rhythms and relationships of rural life and grounded in a commitment to working alongside the communities they document.
Richard Grassick is a British photographer and filmmaker whose work often focuses on communities in transition, both locally and internationally. He was an active collaborator with Amber Films and Side Gallery through the 1980s and 90s, producing a range of socially engaged projects that explored identity, belonging and representation.
With a background in both still and moving image, Grassick has worked extensively across Europe, particularly in Germany, developing projects that connect personal stories with broader political contexts. His practice is rooted in documentary traditions, but often extends into experimental and participatory modes of production.
Grassick’s commitment to collaborative practice and underrepresented voices has defined much of his career, and his work remains part of the wider legacy of community-focused photography and film in Britain.
