The Fishing Industry
Amber Education and North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project
The Fishing Industry
Amber Education and North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project
Education
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One of three major film and photography projects with North Shields Primary Schools that took place this year, The Fishing Industry was inspired by the Side Gallery exhibition of the same name, featuring the documentary photography of Nick Hedges. The project also draws from Amber’s Docu-Drama classic In Fading Light, 1989, filmed on location in and around North Shields Fish Quay.
In Fading Light has gone down in Amber folklore, for the Collective’s decision to buy their own boat, an 63′ anchor seine netter named Sally, and recruit local fishermen to train actors to authentically cast & haul, and crew the boat. In a now infamous decision during filming, Sally set off deliberately, into a force 10 gale, so the film crew could capture the treacherous conditions required for the film’s pivotal dramatic scenes.
Collingwood pupils were tasked with documenting the fishing industry in North Shields as it is today, and to film interviews with local people to illuminate the resources held in the AmberSide Collection. Prior to their visit to the fish quay, they conducted research, engaging with local members of the community who were closely connected to the fishing industry.
On the production day, pupils walked to the fish quay, to be greeted by The Silver Shantymen in full song. From a base at the Old Low Lights Heritage Centre, pupils were given exclusive access to the fish quay and a local prawn processing plant owned by Caley Fisheries. During a whole day of exploration, pupils were tasked with a professional assignment to collect filmed interviews and photographs. The combination of pupils’ filmed interviews and documentary photography has been edited into yet another exceptional film which has enjoyed packed local screenings and a renewed interest online.
This project also became important for North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project, as it inspired the voluntary group with the confidence to go on and to create their own heritage engagements with schools, adding this to their already notable community events and activities including the celebrated Fiddlers Green and Herring Girl sculptures.
"The Fishing Industry stands as yet another exemplar in our project delivery portfolio, with each participating pupil attaining Arts Award Explore Level certification with the support of our excellent team of freelance artists. What stands out with this project, was the matched ambition we shared with Collingwood teacher Stephanie Ingleby and the supporting cast of organisations businesses and community volunteers to really ‘push the boat out’ during our time on the Fish Quay. This was also one of the first projects we have delivered that became the focus of an entire term topic with additional curriculum elements creatively drawn from the subject topic, rather than the project being squeezed in as an ‘add on’ to regular lessons."
"The main impact evident is the change in the children’s interest and enthusiasm in their local area. The inquisitiveness of the children and the enquiry skills they learnt were noticeably different as the children not only wanted to find out more during the project but also after. Many of the children continue to bring information or questions to the classroom about the local fishing industry. The practical skills of using the photography and film equipment were greatly developed, as many of the children had never seen nor held such equipment. This ignited an interest and passion in many of the children, with them going out and taking their own photographs, and also asking for similar equipment as gifts from home."
