Identities and Regeneration in the Former Coalfields of East Durham

This research explores the relationship between identities and regeneration in the former coalfields of East Durham, UK. It looks at how public policies and funding programmes intersect with places to affect processes of identification as people take on new roles and deal with change. Given that women have been traditionally in the shadows of coalfield communities, they are centre stage in this research as it explores the formation of class, occupational and gender identities in 'new times'. Theoretical perspectives on performance in social anthropology and cultural geography are important to this project as it looks at how people self-consciously respond to others (including outsiders and those formally involved in regeneration programmes) and (less self-consciously) perform in tune with expectations and representations. The project employs a range of methods including discourse analysis to interpret cultural media, programme and policy documents and ethnographic methods to explore the impact of pit closures and change on practices and performances. Key to the project is the work of the Amber Film and Photography Collective whose films and photographs of the former coalfields of Durham are both analysed and used to facilitate research