A new photography exhibition by Hazel Plater & Sasha Mallo Tardiveau, documenting the work of the North East Maritime Trust.

Between 2024 and 2025, photographers Hazel Plater and Sasha Mallo Tardiveau spent time with the North East Maritime Trust in South Shields, a volunteer-run charity dedicated to restoring and repairing historic boats and building new ones for the South Shields Sea Cadets.

Working alongside the Trust over many months, the photographers developed close relationships with its volunteers and followed the story of their work from the quiet concentration of the workshops to the challenges of the open sea.

The exhibition unfolds in two parts. The first takes us inside the workshops, where volunteers dedicate their time and skill to vessels, and who have found their community in the process of working together. The second follows four of those volunteers in July 2025 as they sailed the 110-year-old lifeboat Henry Frederick Swan more than 100 miles to the Bridlington Coble Festival — a journey the photographers joined at sea.

Side is excited to share and support new documentary work by members of our local communities, this project is a collaborative exploration by:

• Black and white photography – Sasha Mallo Tardiveau @mallo.tardivography

• Colour photography – Hazel Plater hazelplater.myportfolio.com

Donations are welcomed to help the North East Maritime Trust continue its work. Registered Charity No. 1117855. nemaritimetrust.org.uk