Together with Peter Fryer’s Fathers, Dean Chapman’s Shifting Ground and Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s The Coal Coast, Post Industrial was among the first works commissioned as part of the Coalfield Stories initiative. Created in response to the withdrawal of public funding for production, the photographers began developing independent but interconnected projects, motivated by a shared belief in the importance of sustained documentary practice in former coalfield communities.

Based between Bremen and the North East, Grassick used his position to explore both shared themes and policy contrasts. The project records long-term consequences of pit closures, from unemployment and family dynamics to mental health and shifting identities, drawing attention to the lived realities behind national economic narratives.

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.