Mrs Watts From Brotawe Primary And Her Father Look At The Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Photo By Rasa Mombeini 3

The Exhibition

The Art & Activism at the Heart of the Coalfield project centres on an intergenerational celebration of local heritage, protest and creative expression, rooted in the history of South Wales’s coalfield communities.

The exhibition component brought together artworks, archive photos and community-generated pieces that explored themes of protest, solidarity, and collective memory, inspired by the mining legacy of the Upper Swansea Valley.

Part of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ Strike! exhibition sat alongside creative outcomes from workshops—such as banners and visual storytelling elements, influenced by original colliery banners—the exhibition also connected local history with contemporary expressions of activism, capturing both the struggles of the past and the voices of younger generations.

Through this display, visitors were invited to engage with the cultural and social narratives that have shaped Ystradgynlais and the broader Valleys region, not as static history but as living stories that continue to inform community identity.

Themes explored included but were not limited to: LGBTQ+ due to the Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners – LGSM connection , Environment – coal connection, Children’s Rights, Animal Welfare, Palestine, Ukraine and other conflicts.

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Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini

Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini Artwork

Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini 5

The exhibition featured a combination of original banners, photographs and posters - Pits + Perverts Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini 5

Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini 4

Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini 3

Visitors Look At The Amgueddfa Cymru Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini 2

School Workshop Photos On Display As Part Of The Strike Exhibition Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini

Visitor reading about how the Miner's Strikes of '84/'85 impacted the South Wales Valleys

Mrs Watts From Brotawe Primary And Her Father Look At The Strike Exhibition During The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Photo By Rasa Mombeini 3

Photos In The Exhibition Seen For The First Time Donated By Abby Porter Who Came From The Us To Follow The Women’s Support Group Photo Rasa Mombeini

Photos In The Exhibition Seen For The First Time Donated By Abby Porter Who Came From The Us To Follow The Women’s Support Group during the Miner's Strikes. Photo Rasa Mombeini

Mining Objects And Exhibition In The Welfare Lesser Hall Community Members With Ysgol Bro Tawe Pupils School Banner Artists Rhiannon Rees And Cerian Wilshere Davies

A Selection Of Mining Objects On Display As Part Of The Art And Activism Finale Film Screening Event Photo Care Of Rasa Mombeini