Artwork marks 100th anniversary of general strike
NexusA metro station is hosting an exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the General Strike.
The Broken Lines exhibition tells the story of the strike in the North East, where a group of miners were jailed after accidentally derailing the Flying Scotsman train.
North Tyneside Art Studio (NTAS) worked with more than 30 of its members to create the banners, which are on display in the Bridge Gallery at Tynemouth Metro Station until Sunday.
In 1926, more than two million Britons across a range of sectors refused to work for nine days in solidarity with one million miners who had been told they would need to work longer hours for less money.
On 10 March miners sabatoged the London to Edinburgh mainline at Cramlington, in Northumberland, hoping to prevent a coal train from reaching its destination.
They unintentionally derailed the Flying Scotsman, which was carrying 281 passengers.
Although the train came off the tracks, the driver - who had been alerted to possible trouble ahead - was already slowing down, so passengers only sustained minor injuries.
Eight miners were sentenced to up to eight years in prison, but were released early after pressure from the trade unions.
NEXUSNTA project lead Jess Kinnersley said: "This exciting exhibition has been developed by our members looking for a connection to the event and how the universal themes of community and connection matter as much today as they did 100 years ago.
"We've been hosting weekly workshops for the past two months, exploring the story and using the theme 'Broken Lines'.
"This helps people focus not only on the physical act of breaking the train lines but also, importantly, the human elements of the story - human struggles, lives changed and communities divided."
Nexus