Exploring Movement, Heritage & Community at Chatterley Whitfield
In November 2020, against the backdrop of Stoke-on-Trent’s historic Chatterley Whitfield Colliery, Mining Migrations opened as part of the Being Human Festival 2020 — the UK’s only national festival of the humanities.
This outdoor exhibition featured a series of striking banners displayed around the site’s perimeter, each exploring the many migrations connected with Chatterley Whitfield — from the movement of people and labour, to the changes in culture and industry that have shaped the region.
Working in collaboration with historian Dr Ben Anderson of Keele University and supported by the Chatterley Whitfield Friends, the installation invited local audiences and visitors to reflect on how migration has been woven into the history of the colliery and its surrounding landscape.
Visitors experiencing the exhibition in situ could scan QR codes located on or near the banners to access audio commentary and deeper insights, while also being encouraged to share their own stories and responses.
Mining Migrations forms part of a broader academic and creative engagement with the Chatterley Whitfield site, where arts organisations, heritage volunteers, researchers, and community groups have worked together to bring the deep industrial past of the colliery into conversation with contemporary audiences.
By layering research, artistic interpretation, and public participation, the exhibition illuminated how patterns of movement — both local and global — are intrinsic to the story of Chatterley Whitfield and its place in the cultural memory of the Midlands.
