A photographic exhibition marking the fortieth anniversary of the miners’ strike of 1984-85 opens on 20 September 2024 at Four Corners in Bethnal Green, London. It offers free entry, and runs until 19 October.

Titled ‘ONE YEAR!’, the exhibition sets out to explore the vital role that photography played during the strike, investigating the power and the contradictions inherent in using photography as a tool of resistance. It is supported by grants from the Society for the Study of Labour History and other organisations.

Among the photographers whose work is featured are Brenda Prince, John Sturrock, John Harris, Jenny Matthews, Roger Tiley, Imogen Young and Chris Killip, as well as Philip Winnard who was himself a striking miner. The exhibition also draws on material from the Martin Parr Foundation collection and includes contemporary posters, vinyl records, plates, badges and publications.

The photographs show some familiar imagery – the lines of police and the violence – and also depict the community support offered by groups such as Women Against Pit Closures and Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Photography was used both to sway public opinion and to document this transformative period in British history.

Martin Parr comments on the exhibition: ‘For those who lived through this strike, its enormity cannot be underestimated. We have brought together some of the best-known photographs— including John Harris’s image of a policeman with a truncheon held from a horse swinging at a cowering woman, and John Sturrock’s photograph of the confrontation between mass pickets and police lines at Bilston Glen—to rarely seen snapshots taken by Philip Winnard, a striking miner himself.’

Exhibition curator Isaac Blease adds: ‘The exhibition is an attempt to commemorate and reflect on the miners’ strike of 1984-85, a seismic, yet often overlooked event in the recent history of Britain. By focusing on the complex role photographs played during the year-long struggle we hope for the show to transcend the purely historical or nostalgic and take the visitor on a journey through a series of timeless images that show the resilience, camaraderie and violence of the strike, to reconnect and consider it again in relation to the present. The ephemera materials show the urgent use of images and the creativity that was deployed in support of the striking miners.

‘Together, the works tell a story of the battle against Margaret Thatcher and the National Coal Board’s pit closures, but what ultimately shines through is the unity and imagination of people coming together in defence of their communities and the basic rights to work and to survive.’

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of talks and screenings and will include the launch of two publications. ONE YEAR! Photographs from the Miners’ strike 1984-85: a comprehensive volume of more that 200 pages of work from nine photographers, ephemera related to the strike, texts and interviews. Need not Greed, miners’ strike cartoons by Alan Hardman will launch on 17 October. Both books are published by Bluecoat Press.

The exhibition is supported by Alex Sainsbury, Foyle Foundation, Hallett Independent, National Union of Mineworkers, and the Society for the Study of Labour History.

The Martin Parr Foundation supports emerging, established and overlooked photographers who have made and continue to make work focused on Britain and Ireland. The foundation preserves a growing collection of significant photographic works and strives to make photography engaging and accessible for all.

Four Corners centre for film and photography has been based in East London for 50 years. The centre champions creative expression for social change, connecting communities and image-makers to learn skills and create new work. Four Corners shares its heritage with the Half Moon Photography Workshop and Camerawork.

The exhibition runs 20 September to 19 October 2024 and offers free admission. Opening hours 11am-6pm Wednesday to Saturday. Four Corners is at 121 Roman Road, London E2 0QN. Nearest tube: Bethnal Green, Central Line. Further information.