Building Culture

12/03/2026

It's been six months since Going Back Brockens finished its County Durham run, and the final project videos have given us time to reflect. When something happens slowly, steadily and incrementally, it's easy to lose sight of the sheer scale of it - looking back at these videos puts a big smile on our faces.

Genuinely such a lovely project from start to finish and half the excitement was not knowing where the finish line was, or what it even looked like (that was by design, btw!). It was a big, collaborative piece of work that adapted and responded throughout… and legacy strands are still going.

🏆 GBB was recognised in the 2025 North East Culture Awards - a nomination for Best Event or Exhibition and a win for Narbi Price - Artist as Visual Artist of the Year.
🏛️ The main exhibition has just finished a run at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens.
🎬 Carl Joyce (Coalfield Studios) has been commissioned to create Series 2 of the beautiful and poignant Where We Belong - a supporting commission as part of the wider project.
👥The community archive thread that ran throughout is taking shape
🪵 We even found a new home for the spare wood used in the builds, donating it to local artists and the wonderful Sawdust Workshop in Middlesbrough.

We don't really like hard stops, so we're always up for conversations about what next and where next. Who knows what the future holds for Going Back Brockens - for a project that took the 40th anniversary of the Miners' Strike as a leaping off point, it was as much about what followed as anything else… so let's see.

👉 You can see the final project film and all 6 of Carl's short films over on our YouTube channel:
📽️ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb1Jhr9WNF4ovkqpB3MXGbO0oMVi9ciBc&si=bRsXcKRQcdoZRv3o

💥 BIG thanks as ever to:
> No More Nowt for bringing us in to produce this one - their approach to this stuff is pretty special.

> Ellen Ranson Howarth in her role at NMN at the time for being such an epic collaborator.

> Narbi Price & Mark Hudson for being so generous, open and up for it - as the lead artists this flows from them, and it could have been a very different project.

> Carl Joyce for his contributions to the exhibition and for documenting the process.

> Tom Newall / TFN Production - install & tech supremo.

> And last but not least, everyone who gave their time and trust to help shape the exhibitions in Bishop Auckland, Durham Miners' Gala and Horden.

‘GOING BACK BROCKENS: Monuments and Rhetoric After the Miners’ Strike’ was a major contemporary painting project that took place across County Durham, create...

10/03/2026

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04/03/2026

Embedded placemaking.
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02/03/2026

BC Orange in the real world.

24/01/2026

24/01/2026

Last chance to see Going Back Brockens at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens - FINAL WEEK - Ends January 31st!

The major exhibition from award-winning artist Narbi Price - Artist and acclaimed writer Mark Hudson, shares stories of hope and aspiration in mining communities 40 years after the Miners’ Strike. 43 new paintings of locations connected to the mining industry across County Durham sit alongside a sound installation using interviews with the people of Horden between 1991 - 92.

Complementing the exhibition is a series of specially commissioned short films by Horden videographer Coalfield Studios. Inspired by Mark Hudson’s book, each film explores the relationship between people and place, telling new and unique stories of those living in County Durham villages and how they continue to shape them.

Going Back Brockens: Monuments and Rhetoric After the Miners’ Strike

Until Saturday 31 January

10am - 5pm | Free entry

Find out more and watch the artist interviews here: https://lnkd.in/e7qS4GZy

Going Back Brockens was commissioned by No More Nowt, the Creative People and Places programme for County Durham supported using public funding by the The National Lottery through Arts Council England and produced by Building Culture CIC.

30/11/2025

29/10/2025

Chuffed to see Going Back Brockens make the shortlist for Best Event or Exhibition at the ! It was such a massive collaborative effort with so many moving parts, and it’s lovely for everyone involved to see it recognised.

Big congrats to fellow Brockens collaborators on their other nominations too - for Visual Artist of the Year and for Best Arts & Business Partnership... plus loads of friends and peers getting nods as well!

Good luck everyone!

Huge thanks and appreciation to: .studio .poulton .collective .collective
Plus loads of others not on here and, of course, the communities of County Durham.

27/10/2025

👏 The whole team would like to send huge congratulations to Narbi Price - Artist for his well deserved shortlisting at the 2025 North East Culture Awards.

👍 Narbi is shortlisted in the category Visual Artist of the Year for his wonderful Going Back Brockens: Monuments and Rhetoric After the Miners' Strike exhibition - currently showing in our Main Gallery space.

👍Well done Narbi, we're delighted for you.

👉 Find out more about Going Back Brockens: https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/going-back-brockens/

21/10/2025

We find it really helpful to build in time to rest, reflect, and move forward in a more considered way. If you can, take time to pause.

15/10/2025

There are a few FREE tickets remaining for the Going Back Brockens 'in conversation' event at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

It's fascinating listening to Narbi & Mark talk about the project and their process.

Grab your ticket here:

Sunderland Culture brings together some of the city’s most cherished cultural assets and activities to realise the ambition of a city brimming with creative potential.