Major online exhibition of 84/85 Miners’ Strike memories launches
A new interactive 3D tour of a major exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike – 84/85 – The Longest Year – has been made available for free online by National Coal Mining Museum for England.
Opening earlier this year at the Wakefield-based Museum, the exhibition focusses on the experiences of miners and their families, giving a voice to three different points of view: striking miners, those that went back early and those that didn’t strike at all.
Now, members of the public can discover the exhibition from the comfort of their own homes, wherever they are in the world, with an innovative 3D tour. Viewers will uncover the story of the Miners’ Strike from those that experienced it with the unique opportunity to listen to interviews, read compelling quotes, absorb powerful photography and see artefacts from 1984/85.
The exhibition features memories received following a public call out in November 2023, where over 100 people across the country came forward with their recollections of the strike. Each of these memories have been added to the Museum’s collection and a number have been included in the exhibition.
Created by Yorkshire-based Front Row Live, who specialise in creating immersive 3D and 360° experiences, the virtual tour will remain on the website outside of the exhibition period. The Museum hopes this will prove to be a valuable on-demand educational resource for those wanting to learn about the strike for years to come.
The almost year-long exhibition dates coincide with the anniversary, opening on 6 March 2024 and set to close 40 years after miners returned to work on 3 March 2025. A series of events are lined up for the remainder of the exhibition including an exciting panel discussion with lawyers about their experiences during the Strike in September, the launch of a poetry anthology in November, and a Toy Swap in the spirit of communities pulling together at Christmas. Full details can be found here.
Lynn Dunning, CEO of National Coal Mining Museum for England said “We are thrilled to launch our 3D exhibition tour of 84/85 – The Longest Year in such an important anniversary year and to share these fascinating stories far and wide to new audiences, both nationally and globally”.